A Matter of Family
by Justen Matthews
Summary: Jessie has been living with the Swan's for eight years. She hasn't really ever fit in except with her friend, Will Turner. One day, the infamous pirate, Jack Sparrow, comes into Port Royal, and Miss Jessie's long-kept secret is discovered when she goes after the pirates who took Elizabeth. Should she choose to stay with the Swans, or does she follow the call of the sea?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One **

On the top deck of the H.M.S. _Courageous_ stood the slight figures of two girls. The younger of the two had brown hair that hung in loose curls around her freckled face and large, mousey eyes that stared up at her companion. The other girl had hair as dark as a raven's wing and stood almost a head taller than her friend. She stared out at the fog that covered the sea for miles, forcing the sailors to hang lanterns from all sides of the ship.

"Jessie," the brown-haired girl murmured, "Sing me that song you were humming the day before last."

Jessie's lips curved into a small smile. "It's pirate song, Elizabeth." Her accent was coarser than the other's, though her voice was melodious. "You want me to sing a pirate song? What would you father think?"

Now Elizabeth smiled brightly. "He won't mind if I am the one who asked you. Please, Jessie." She pleaded with her eyes and pouted her lip.

Jessie relented and sang very softly, so softly, Elizabeth had to lean closer to hear the words.

_"The King and his men stole the Queen from her bed,_

_ And bound her in her bones._

_ The seas be ours, and by the powers,_

_ Where we will, we'll roam_

_ Yo ho, all together, hoist the colours high._

_ Heave ho, thieves and beggars,_

_ Never shall we die_."

"Quiet, missy!"

A rough hand suddenly grasped Jessie's shoulder. Elizabeth jumped and turned quickly, only to find herself staring into the face of one of the sailors, Gibbs. His weather beaten face was lined and leathery, and his eyes beady and squinted from long hours in the bright sun. Jessie, who showed no sign of alarm, gazed at the man from over her shoulder.

"Cursed pirates sail these waters," Gibbs continued, peering over their heads at the dark waves ahead. "You want to bring down the lot of them upon us?"

"Mr. Gibbs, that will do."

Left tenant Norrington strode forward. Gibbs straightened quickly and explained, "The young girl be singin' about pirates! Tis bad luck to be singin' about them in this miserable fog, mark my words."

Norrington smirked. "Consider them marked. On your way."

Gibbs walked away huffily, muttering to himself about the ill luck associated with bringing women aboard a ship, even if they were only miniature ones. The two dangers to the ship's safety watched him pull a flask from his shirt and take a swig.

"I think it would be exciting to meet a pirate," Elizabeth stated.

"Think again, Miss Swan," Norrington retorted. "Violent, bloodthirsty crew, the lot of them. Ask Miss Jessie. She would know best. I intend to see that every man who sails under the Jolly Roger gets what he deserves." He looked down at Elizabeth. "A short drop and a sudden stop."

Confused, Elizabeth frowned and glanced at Jessie.

"They're hanged, Lizzie." Jessie's voice held a trace of bitterness, causing Norrington to eye her.

Elizabeth gasped, horrified.

A man, who had watched all of this in silence, stepped forward. He was middle aged, but his face was already lined. His powdered wig fell gracefully over his slumped shoulders, and his heeled shoes clomped on the deck as he walked.

"Left tenant Norrington, I appreciate your fervor, but I'm worried about the effects this topic could have on my daughters."

"My apologies, Governor Swan." Norrington bowed stiffly at the waist, then turned. "Miss Jessie, might I have a word with you?"

The girl nodded and took the arm he offered. They strolled off together down the deck, Jessie's dark green dress swishing softly.

"I couldn't help but hear a hint of anger when you told Miss Swan the fate of a pirate," Norrington commented, watching the girl's face closely. "Was I correct?"

Her face remained impassive. "It was not directed at you, James, but at the way you described them. Pirates, I mean. You said they were all violent and bloodthirsty."

"And so they are. I have yet to meet one pirate who wouldn't kill and plunder."

"They could say the same of you and the rest of the royal navy, I should think. I doubt a pirate could claim he had come across a British naval officer who was willing to sit and have tea with him."

Surprised, Norrington stopped. "Are you defending those brutes?" he asked incredulously.

The girl continued to stare off into the distance, and when she spoke, he wondered if her thoughts were still with the ship. "Defending? Never. I hardly believe that every pirate is a good and upstanding man. But I can't say that _all_ of them are cruel and horrifying, either. There must be some who are nothing more than pleasure or adventure seekers, and they still are lumped in with all of the other bad ones. That is all."

"Perhaps, Jessie, perhaps. You astonish me, however. After your experience and what they did to your brother, that is not the answer I expected from you."

Jessie started to speak, but Elizabeth's voice interrupted her.

"A boy! Look, there's a boy in the water!"

Norrington, Jessie, and several others rushed to the side of the ship. A large piece of wood floated by them with a boy of about twelve lying on it. Jessie saw his eyes were closed and his clothes were soaked.

"Man overboard!" Norrington shouted. The girls heard him call out orders to the sailors and watched as a lifeboat was lowered into the water. The sailors rowed to the flotsam and pulled the boy into the boat. Behind the girls, the ship's doctor waited patiently.

Governor Swan gently led the two away from the sailors as they handed the limp figure up to the doctor. "I want you girls to wait with me," he said quietly. Elizabeth nodded, but Jessie protested.

"There is nothing I will see that will frighten me, Governor. The boy is unconscious and in shock, but he is not injured."

The governor sighed. "Very well, then. Elizabeth, you may go with Jessie if you wish. Take care of him. I shall have him placed in your charge." Elizabeth nodded and followed Jessie apprehensively.

Jessie slipped through the small crowd of men who gathered around the boy. He had been laid on a small table on his back. His eyes were still closed. She heard the doctor comment to Norrington.

"The boy is unconscious and in shock, Left tenant, but he is not injured. He also seems to be exhausted, though I won't know for sure until he wakes."

A sudden stir from the men caused everyone to turn. From the ship, they all saw a blazing inferno and the wreckage of what had been a merchant vessel. Debris floated past them, and Jessie caught sight of a lady's parasol.

Gibbs swore under his breath. The governor and Norrington glared at him. "Everyone's thinkin' it, I'm just sayin' it," he muttered. "Pirates."

Governor Swan chuckled nervously. "Nonsense, this was probably just an accident."

Jessie returned to the boy. His dark hair was sticking to his forehead. Gently, she brushed it away.

The boy woke with a start and clutched her wrist tightly. Elizabeth gasped and shrank back. He breathed hard and stared wildly at them.

"It's ok," Jessie whispered calmly. "You're safe now. My name is Jessie, and she is Elizabeth Swan."

His grip loosened. "Will Turner," he panted.

She smiled. "We are going to look after you, Will."

He blinked and then fell back to the table, insensible once more. Elizabeth crept forward to Jessie's side. She frowned.

"What are you afraid of, little mouse? He won't hurt you. He says his name is Will Turner. There's nothing scary about that."

Elizabeth made no answer. Jessie studied his face.

"Will Turner," she said to herself. "I think I know that name." She peered out into the fog, thinking. Then she blinked. A little cry escaped her, and she quickly covered her mouth.

Through the mist, a flag had appeared. Black and ragged it was, with a white skull and cross bones in its center. The masts of the ship emerged with torn sails made from dark material. Then it vanished.

Elizabeth came to her side. "What's the matter, Jessie? You are terribly pale."

"The _Black Pearl_," she murmured. "That was the _Black Pearl_."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two **

_Eight years later…_

Eighteen-year-old Jessie stood on the deck of the _Interceptor_, watching Port Royal, Jamaica, come closer. The day was sunny and bright, and a stiff breeze blew them quickly to their destination. She paced back and forth several times before looking back at the land.

"Patience, Miss Swan!" Norrington laughed, standing beside her. "We shall arrive within the hour."

"Please, James," Jessie smiled sourly, "You know I don't like you calling me that. I'm not Miss Swan, just Jessie. Elizabeth is Miss Swan.

"But I do wish this boat would go faster! I can't wait to see Lizzie's face when we arrive. Do you think she'll be surprised?"

"I'm sure she will be, Jessie. She missed you dearly when you left and begged the governor for some time to let her visit you."

"Did she?" Jessie raised her eyebrows. "Why didn't he ever let her? Worried that his wild adopted daughter would ruin his precious child?"

Norrington pressed his lips together. "The governor loves you very much, Jessie. I'm sure his reasons were sound."

She chuckled. "I would never question his devotion to me, James; only whether it is the same as his love for his daughter." Her tone softened when she saw it troubled him. "But please don't think I feel bitterness towards him, because I never could. I can't expect him to love me the same way he loves Elizabeth."

"You're a gracious girl, Jessie," Norrington said, hugging her fondly.

She grunted.

"And I shall make sure that you are one of the first on this ship to set foot on land," he continued. "Five years is a long time, and I know you want to see your family."

She smiled sweetly. "Thank you. But don't send word that I'm here! I want it to be a surprise."

Jessie impatiently watched the sailors prepare the ship to dock, pacing to and fro on the deck. To distract herself, she turned her gaze back to Port Royal. Everything seemed to be as she recalled when she left, except, perhaps, the buildings looked older and the docks had grown in size. The Union Jack waved proudly from the top of the fort farther down the beach. Onshore, children played on the beach and mimicked the men they heard working. Jessie smiled as she saw a small group of young rogues pretending to be having a duel to the death. Their voices carried up to her.

"I am Jack Sparrow, master of the seven seas! I will not be mocked by the likes of you, Beckett!"

"Thou art a villain, Sparrow, and must go to the gallows! Have at thee!"

Their sticks clashed. The two actors eyed each other, watching for weakness and testing the others skills, until "Jack Sparrow" impaled "Beckett". He fell to the ground for a dramatic death.

"Jessie!" Norrington called. She started, which made him laugh. "It's time."

She hurried to his side, took his arm, and practically ran down the gangplank. A carriage waited for her. Norrington handed her in before ensuring her luggage was securely tied on. Then he signaled to the driver.

"Thank you, James!" she called out the window as they pulled away. He waved his hand to her before returning to his ship.

Jessie fidgeted with her fingers as she watched the city go by. When they passed near the blacksmith's she looked for her friend, Will, but didn't see him. She waved to children they passed, who shouted and waved back. They followed the carriage to the gates of the Swan estate, where the gatekeeper shooed them off.

"Here we are, Miss Swan," the footman announced as he opened the door. She ignored his hand and instead leapt out and hurried down the drive. The doors to the mansion opened, and Governor Swam descended the stairs.

"Jessie, darling!" He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her cheek. "You're early! You must've had a good voyage, then?"

Jessie returned the embrace. "Very good, Governor. The Interceptor flew from Barbados. How have you and Lizzie been?"

"Quite well, thank you. Everything has gone along here just as it always has." The governor looked her up and down. "And I can see without asking that you have also fared well these last five years."

She nodded and glanced over his shoulder at the house. He smiled.

"She has no idea you're here. She was still asleep when I came down a moment ago."

"Then let's go inside, shall we?"

Jessie walked silently up the well-known staircase and hallway that led to Elizabeth's room. A door stood ajar, and she peeked inside. The room was plainly furnished with a four-poster bed, night table and dresser, and French doors leading out to a balcony that looked over Port Royal. A larger mirror stood in a corner. Jessie leaned against the doorpost momentarily, remembering how it looked when she had lived in that room.

Another door flew open, and a beautiful young lady of seventeen swooped out. Elizabeth's complexion had cleared since the two girls where young and her expression was less naive, but Jessie knew her instantly.

Elizabeth saw someone standing in the doorway and stopped. Her lips curved into an overjoyed smile when she realized who it was.

"Jessie!" she cried, throwing her arms around the bronzed girl. "Jessie! You're here, you're here! I didn't know you were coming home. When did you get here?"

"Just now, actually," Jessie laughed. "I came up to see if you were awake. I'm here to stay for a few weeks."

"Wonderful! I'm so happy to see you. I wanted so badly to visit you in Barbados, but Father was against it and so I had to stay here. I've missed you so much." She planted a kiss on her sister's cheek and squeezed her tightly.

"I've missed you too, Lizzie. I missed you very much."

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Jessie and her belongings were soon returned to their old place in the upstairs bedroom. She found it strange to resume her life in Port Royal after so long on the island of Barbados. There, she had run the plantation Governor Swan's brother left her, and no one thought twice about her wearing a simple dress and spending all day in the sun becoming "browner than a baked bean", one woman said. No one called her "the governor's adopted daughter" or the "wild thing they dragged from the ocean", only "Mistress Jessie". In Port Royal, her clothes were heavy and confining, and she felt the eyes staring at her again as she interacted with the governor's friends. All of those eyes, watching and criticizing her every move.

"You just have to ignore them, Jessie," Will Turner told her one evening. She had snuck down to Mr. Brown's smithy to see Will for the first time since she had left Port Royal. He pulled a flaming hot rod out of the flames and set them on the anvil. "People always judge other people."

"No, they judge the ones they think don't belong." Jessie watched him from a ledge on the wall. "And I don't belong."

"Neither do I," he grunted. "They saved me from drowning too, remember?"

She smiled as she recalled that day. "But you're different, Will. You are the son of a British sailor, while I am a Spanish woman from a little island in the middle of the ocean. No one looks at you like you're an outsider. No one pities you because you have no family."

Will said nothing while he molded the steel rod into the crude form of a rapier. Then he put it back in the flames before sitting beside her.

"Jess, people will always look at you as an outsider or pity you because they're human. They have their own insecurities and they like to point out the oddities in others to make themselves feel better. You just have to learn to ignore them and brush off their insensitive words, to not let them affect you."

Jessie nodded, reassured. "Thanks, Will."

She did try to ignore them after that, hardening her heart to their words and stares. She had other things to worry about, though.

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Jessie awoke from her sleep panting, a cold sweat beading her forehead and arms. A cry of despair and anger still rang in her ears. She looked around her, panicked until she saw that she was still in her room in Port Royal and nothing had changed. Jessie took several deep breaths as she stared up at the ceiling. She blinked rapidly, trying to force the image of a lone man standing on a beach out of her mind. Rising, she wrapped her light robe around her shoulders and opened the heavy curtains. The sun was just peeking over the horizon, casting a pink glow on the waves. She went out on the balcony and breathed in the salty air to calm her racing heart. Her fingers reached for a medallion around her neck that she always wore. It was a gold coin with the head of a skeleton in the center, its empty sockets leering out at the world.

Below, Port Royal began to wake. The sun rose higher, throwing hues of pink, red, and gold across the sky and sea. Jessie watched it absentmindedly.

"_Eight years_," she thought. "_Eight years ago today. Where are you, Jack_?"

A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. "Jessie?" the governor's voice called. She turned and saw her sea chest in the corner where she had been looking through it last night. She rushed across the room, knocking over a candlestick with a loud clatter.

"Jessie? Are you alright?"

She threw a heavy quilt over the chest. "Yes, yes, I'm fine! Come in." She tucked the medallion into her nightdress just as the door opened and Governor Swan entered, followed by three maid servants. One carried a large package.

"Up already?" Governor Swan asked with concern in his voice. "You are pale, my darling, are you sure—"

"Yes, Governor, I'm quite fine." She tried to keep her voice pleasant. "Just a bad dream is all." Jessie forced a smile, which seemed to convince him.

"What is all of this?" she asked. The maid set the box down on Jessie's bed.

Governor Swan smiled fondly. "Just a little something I had made for you. Go on, open it up."

Jessie took off the lid and pulled out a dress of dark red, the color of wine. White lace encircled the arms and neck. She rubbed the material between her fingers.

"It's beautiful," she breathed. Then she cast a suspicious glance at him. "May I ask what this is for?"

He chuckled. "Does a father need a reason to dote upon his daughters?" They both smiled, then Jessie disappeared behind a screen with two of the maids.

"Actually, I was hoping you'd wear it to the ceremony today," Governor Swan called.

"Ceremony? For what?"

"For the promotion of Captain James Norrington." Jessie could hear the pride in his voice. "Commodore, he is to become."

"I knew it was bound to happen. I am very happy for him."

"You know he speaks very highly of you and your sister, Jessie."

She gasped as the corset around her waist was pulled tighter. "Yes, more highly of me than he should and less highly of Elizabeth than he might." The corset was given a sharp tug again, and she bit back a curse. "You know the two of them love each other dearly, Governor."

"I have already given him my blessing. He shall make a fine husband and will take very good care of her, I have no doubt."

A maid wrapped her hands around Jessie's waist in an attempt to make it smaller. Jessie winced.

"How's it coming?" the governor asked.

"I can't really say. My waist seems to be vanishing."

"I hear it's the latest style in London and Paris."

"Well, women in Europe must've learned not to breathe." She sucked in air as the girls finally made the corset fit.

There was a knock on the door. Jessie heard the butler say William Turner had arrived.

"Jessie, I have to go see to Mister Turner. Come downstairs as soon as you are ready."

His footsteps faded away. The girls pulled the dress over her head and straightened the wrinkles in her petticoats. Jessie shut her eyes and ignored all of the fussing and priming they did to her and instead replayed the nightmare she had had for almost every night since she was ten.

_The pirate is tall, with a graying beard and fierce black eyes. A monkey sits on his shoulder. Around him gathers the mutinous crew, leering down on the two kneeling figures before them. Their clothes are torn and faded, and their hands are tied behind their backs. One figure is a man in his late twenties, the other a child with short black hair. The pirate nudges the pair roughly with his boot._

"_Rise and shine!" he taunts. When neither responds, he motions to a thick man with dark skin and tattoos on his arms. The man hauls the two up to the pirate, who grabs the slumped man's beard and tugs it hard. He groans._

"_Wake up, Jack Sparrow!" the pirate snaps._

_The figures slowly open their eyes, blinking in the bright noon sun. The child recovers first and glares at the pirate. Jack look around at the ship, the crew, and the sea before glowering at the pirate._

"_Well, Barbosa," he says wryly. "You have my ship, you have the location of the gold, what would you like now?"_

"_Shut up!" Barbosa's spit flies in Jack's face. "Ye always talk too much! Take a look out there, _Captain_, and tell me what ye see."_

_Jack stares out at the waves until he sees a tiny, sandy beach. He licks his lips nervously, though his voice remains proud._

"_And what point would there be in marooning me, I wonder?" he asks. The child wriggles to get loose, but hard hands hold him still._

"_Point?" Barbosa sneers. He leans close to Jack's face. "To get rid of you and your loyal little shadow here. No sense in keepin' ye. Ye'd only take most of the Aztec gold fer yerself."_

_The child wriggles harder, earning a slap across the face that leaves a red mark._

"_So, Jack, which of ye should I send over first, eh?" _

_Jack spits on Barbosa and attempts to knock him over. The crew jump on Jack and begin beating him to the deck till Barbosa calls out, "Enough! Yer going to kill him before he has a chance to rule over his little kingdom."_

_Jack coughs. His lip is bleeding and his eye is turning black. The child has managed to slip out of his captor's grasp and kneels by Jack, trying to shield him from any further blows. Barbosa shoves him out of the way._

"_Fine! I'll send ye over. Maybe your little friend will jump in of his own accord after ye."_

_Barbosa drags Jack to the plank and prods him forward with the tip of his sword. The child is taken to the front of the crowd to watch._

"_Jack!" The child's voice is surprisingly high pitched for a boy's. _

_Barbosa squeezes the child's face between his fingers. "Don't worry, my little snot, you'll be with yer Jack soon enough."_

_The child bites Barbosa's hand and draws blood. The pirate cries out and deals him a swift slash with his sword, cutting the child's cheek deeply. Others join in the beating._

"_Jessie! Leave her alone, you cowards!" Jack lets out a string of insults and curses._

_Barbosa stares at the child, then at Jack, then at the child again. _

"_Hold up, lads!" he calls. "I believe Jack just called this one a girl."_

_He grabs a fistful of the worn shirt and drags the child up to his face. The monkey, who has managed to keep his place, peers at the defiant blue eyes with the pirate. Barbosa snorts._

"_I might've guessed it," he mutters. "I always thought ye was too pretty for a boy. Jessie, is it? Well, we might just have to keep you with us, then. You'll be much prettier when yer older."_

_He and the crew snigger. Jack struggles against the crowd._

"_Seems as though you'll be finishing yer existence alone, Captain Sparrow," Barbosa mocks._

"_You lily-livered scum!"_

_Everyone turns to Jessie, who has risen to her feet. Blood trickles down her neck._

_The crowd chuckles again. A one-eyed man named Ragetti says to his neighbor, "Pretty little thing, ain't she?"_

_Jessie turns her angry glare on him. "My name is Jessie Delacruz, and if you give me a sword I shall kill you all, starting with you, Barbosa."_

_Barbosa throws his head back and roars with laughter. "I like her, Jack," he calls back. "Feisty and high-spirited. But it really is time for us to go, so, ye must be goin' now, too."_

_He shoves Jack further down the plank and jostles it. Jack tries to keep his balance, but when Barbosa tosses a bundle at his chest he topples over and lands with a loud splash in the water. Jessie rages against the many hands that touch her, crying out Jack's name repeatedly. She is dragged away as Barbosa calls out orders to his crew and the ship begins to turn away from the island. Jessie keeps her eyes on the beach and is relieved to see Jack walk up the sand. He spins to face the ship. Tears roll down Jessie's face as she watches his fall to his knees in defeat and let out a raw cry. Then she is knocked across the head and knows no more._

"There we are, Miss."

Jessie blinked away the memories and refocused on the mirror in front of her. Her reflection showed the primping was finally over. Her dark hair was pulled back on top of her head in a fashionable bun, a few curled locks hanging down her neck. The heavy dress covered her feet and shoes. Jessie pulled a few strands of hair loose above her eye and let them hang down to gently touch the scar on her cheek.

"How do I look, Sarah?"

The girl seemed surprised at the question. "Like a beautiful lady, Miss Jessie."

Jessie had always liked Sarah. She felt the girl gave honest, blunt answers, and had an adventurous side that Jessie appreciated.

"A beautiful lady? I doubt anyone else would say the same. But you are very sweet."

"No, Miss Jessie, I know others say it. They whisper it when you pass by and talk louder when I am around because they believe I don't listen. They say you are the prettiest woman in Port Royal and most are surprised there aren't men from every part of the world to court you."

Jessie turned to the girl with a strange gleam in her eye. "Maybe men shy away from me because they think I'm too beautiful. Or maybe they see something they don't like in me. Or," her voice sank to a whisper, "Or maybe they believe I'm secretly a pirate. What respectable Englishman wants to fall in love with a pirate wench?"

Sarah laughed. "I have heard some people tell those stories, Miss Jessie. Nonsense. Pure nonsense."

Jessie had heard those stories, too, told mainly by suspicious or jealous women. They liked to say that she had been a cabin boy of sorts on a pirate ship, and pirates had beaten her and thrown her overboard the night she had been found. Some of the more ridiculous ones said she was the personal servant of a pirate and had tried to escape his clutches that night. All agreed that if these were true, Jessie would be unable to stay away from that life and lived it secretly on Barbados.

Sarah and the other girl left the room, leaving Jessie alone with her reflection and her thoughts. The girl stared at herself for a little while. A longing she often felt struck her, a desire to be free. There was nothing she wanted in the world so much as to be free, to escape the rules of high society and the stifling clothing. She sighed.

There was a knock on her door, and Elizabeth entered. She wore a floral dress with a stylish hat tied under her chin.

"Elizabeth!" Jessie exclaimed. "You are stunning."

Elizabeth blushed. "So are you, Jessie. Father did a fine job with these."

They walked arm-in-arm out of the room and down the stairs. Governor Swan stood talking to Will, a sword in his hand.

"This is a fine blade," the governor was saying. "Give your master my compliments."

Will glanced at him. "Thank you. A craftsman likes to know his works is appreciated."

Jessie stifled a laugh. Will's master, a James Brown, was a miserable drunkard, forcing Will to complete every sword he was commissioned to make.

"Father."

Elizabeth's soft voice carried down to the men, who looked up. The governor smiled broadly.

"Ah, girls, you look wonderful! We must be going, or we shall be late for the ceremony."

Elizabeth took her father's arm. Jessie smiled prettily at Will, who offered to walk her out to the carriage.

"I am leaving soon," she breathed into his ear as they strolled down the drive.

"Leaving? Already? You've been here barely a month."

"I know, but I wanted this visit to end as painless as possible. I don't plan on returning to Port Royal, Will, and I didn't want…"

Her voice trailed off. Will patted her hand softly. They said nothing more until they reached the carriage where the Swans were already waiting.

"Good day to you, Mister Turner," Jessie said quite formally. Then she gave him a quick kiss and whispered, "Thank you."

Will bowed. She squeezed his hand and stepped up into the seat next to Elizabeth. The footman shut the door, Governor Swan rapped on the roof, and they lurched forward. Both the governor and Elizabeth noticed Jessie's strange mood and commented on it, but she merely smiled and blamed it on a bad dream.

"I'm quite fine, really," she assured them. This satisfied Governor Swan, who immediately launched into a speech about Norrington and the ceremony. Elizabeth, Jessie saw, didn't believe her sister, though she said nothing more.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three **

Fifes played merrily. The soldiers marched smartly, their buttons and muskets gleaming in the sun. Jessie and Elizabeth stood amongst a small crowd atop Fort Edward, watching the naval officers. As they stood in their two, rigid lines, they listened to their commanding official as he called out orders. Norrington walked around a corner and stopped at the head of the two lines. The officers drew their rapiers and held them aloft, creating a tunnel of silver. Norrington strode through, his head held high and hands clasped behind his back, to the other side where Governor Swan waited.

Jessie suppressed a groan and shifted her weight to her other foot. The sun beat down unbearably and the corset gripped her middle, cutting off her breath. She fanned herself and wished the ceremony was over.

Elizabeth watched the soon-to-be commodore with adoring eyes.

"He looks very handsome, doesn't he?" Elizabeth sighed. "See the way he holds himself so proudly!"

Jessie smiled. "Yes, Lizzie, he is very handsome."

Governor Swan presented Norrington with the sword Will had made. James drew it and looked down the blade, then gave it a few experimental swings. Jessie wanted to scream at the men to hurry up so she could leave. For the thousandth time, she attempted to readjust the corset.

As soon as the ceremony ended, Elizabeth dragged Jessie to another part of the fort that looked over the sea.

"Lizzie! Slow down!" Jessie panted. She felt hot all over and lightheaded, though Elizabeth didn't notice. Much to Jessie's relief, her sister stopped under a shaded section, allowing her to lean against a stone post.

"Jessie, let's go over there and look at the ships at the harbor!" Elizabeth pleaded.

"No, let me catch my breath."

Elizabeth turned to Jessie, suddenly noticing how faint she was. "You are quite pale. Are you alright? Would you like some water?"

Jessie forced a laugh. "No, no, Lizzie, I'm fine. Just a little tight under this piece of whalebone."

Elizabeth opened her mouth to speak.

"Miss Elizabeth."

Norrington stood behind her. "Might I speak with you?"

"Of course, Commodore, but I must make sure—"

"I have something of great importance to say, Miss Elizabeth."

Jessie read his expression. Elizabeth glanced at her. "Come with me, Jessie," she whispered.

"Lizzie, I…"

Elizabeth linked her arm into Jessie's and pulled her forward. Norrington gave Elizabeth his elbow and led her to the edge of the tower where, in the distance, the fleet could be seen. The sea glittered like a jewel under the cloudless sky, and a light breeze blew towards the water.

The trio came to the end of the tower. Jessie nearly fell onto the column of a decorative structure built into the rock. She fanned herself furiously.

"Now, Miss Elizabeth," she heard Norrington say, "I must ask you in advance to forgive me for seeming forward, but I must speak my mind. This honor bestowed upon me has brought to my attention that there is, and had been, something missing that would make me complete. A wife." He took her hands in his. "You are the most beautiful woman I have the pleasure of knowing, Elizabeth, and I have come to love you very much. Would you make this day complete by agreeing to marry me?"

Elizabeth had stared at him with wide eyes as he spoke, and when he took her hands, a radiant smile had crept over her lips. After he finished, a little gasp escaped her.

"Yes, James, yes!" she cried breathlessly.

Norrington beamed. He wrapped his arms around her and spun her around, making her laugh. The small crowd that had gathered cheered and clapped.

Elizabeth turned to where Jessie stood. "Oh, Jessie," she began.

Her joy changed to alarm as she watched Jessie topple backwards over the ledge, down to the shallow, rocky shore. She screamed and rushed over, followed by Norrington and a few other guests.

Norrington quickly took off his jacket. "The rocks!" another officer cried, grabbing the commodore's arm. "Sir," he explained when Norrington didn't listen, "Sir, it's a miracle she missed them!"

Down Jessie sank, her heavy dress weighing more in the murky water. The medallion around her neck floated up, sending a pulse through the waves. Onshore, sailors wondered at the strange ripple that passed over the top of the water. The wind shifted, blowing in dark clouds and a biting cold.

Jessie came to the bottom and lay still. Another form, a man, came to her side and scooped her up. He pushed off the sandy floor and swam for the surface, her limp form draped over his shoulder. As his head broke through, he sputtered and gasped as he struggled to stay afloat. The two sank again. The man drew a knife and cut the lacings on the dress, ripping it off. Then he swam for shore.

When he reached the docks, two red-coated soldiers met him. One, named Murtogg, had piercing dark eyes and a craggy face; the other, Mullroy, had a double chin and a good-natured smile. Both men reached for the slumped form and lay her on the dock, letting the stranger climb up by himself.

"She's not breathing!" Murtogg called out. Worry and alarm spread over the soldiers' faces. Jessie was a great favorite amongst them because of her wit and sharp tongue.

"Move!" The stranger shoved him out of the way and threw his knife on the ground. His nimble fingers ripped off the corset and pushed it into Murtogg's hands. Immediately, Jessie gagged and coughed up sea water.

"I never would've thought of that," Murtogg mumbled.

"Apparently, you've never been to Singapore," the stranger replied.

Jessie stared hard at him, feeling that she recognized his voice. His face was tanned and dirty, and dreadlocks hung down his back, held out of his face by a bandana. Several random objects were attached to the material. He had at least four gold teeth that glittered when he spoke. Her eyes widened.

"Jack?" she gasped.

He frowned for a second and cocked his head, then grinned. "Ello, Jess."

Footsteps pounded on the docks, and Norrington, the governor, and a dozen soldiers ran up. Jessie couldn't take her eyes off of Jack. He looked at the angry glares of the men.

"On your feet!" commanded Norrington, his sword an inch away from Jack's throat.

"Jessie!" the governor called, crouching beside her. "Jessie, are you alright?" He wrapped his coat around her dripping shoulders.

"Yes. Yes, I'm fine," she muttered, tucking the medallion back into her underdress. She watched apprehensively, trying to keep Governor Swan from fawning over her.

Norrington had cast his cutting glare at Murtogg, who still held the torn corset. He dropped it guiltily and pointed at Jack.

"Hang him," Governor Swan demanded.

"Right away, sir," Norrington answered. "Gillette, fetch me some irons."

Jessie held Norrington's coat beseechingly. "James, this man saved my life."

He pressed his lips together, then stuck his hand out. "I believe thanks are in order."

Jack hesitated before shaking with Norrington. Instantly, James turned Jack's wrist out and ripped back his filthy sleeve. A brand shaped like a 'P' stood out white on his brown skin.

"Had a little run-in with the East India Trading Company, did we? Pirate?" Norrington asked smugly. He pulled the sleeve up farther, revealing a tattoo of a dove, a branch in its mouth, flying over a sea lit by a sunset.

"Well, well. Jack Sparrow, isn't it?"

"It's captain, actually. Captain Jack Sparrow."

Norrington looked around. "I don't see your ship, _Captain_," he mocked.

"I'm in the market, as it were."

"He said he'd come to commandeer one," Mullroy interjected. "These are his, sir." He bent over and picked up a bundle of rag-tag items. Norrington disdainfully went through them one by one.

"A pistol with only one shot. A compass that doesn't point north." He drew a sword from its scabbard and smirked. "And I half expected it to be made of wood. You are without a doubt the worst pirate I've ever heard of."

"But you have heard of me," Jack sneered.

Norrington led Jack away and handed him to Gillette, who put his wrists in manacles. Jessie shook off Governor Swan's coat and hands and followed.

"James, I really must protest! Pirate or not, this man saved me from drowning." She came between him and Jack and glared. "He does not deserve to—"

"One good deed, Miss Jessie, does not excuse a man from a life of wickedness." His gaze was as hard as hers.

"Though it does seem enough to condemn him," she replied vehemently.

Norrington's jaw clenched. "Indeed."

Jack muttered something Jessie didn't catch as his chains rattled. Norrington reached for her just as she felt cold metal around her throat and a pistol on her jaw. Jack pressed Jessie against his body, his mouth by her ear.

"No, No! Don't shoot!" Governor Swan cried as the soldiers raised their muskets to their shoulders.

"I really should thank you for what you said in my defense, darling." His breath tickled. "Quite touching. Don't take another step forward, Commodore, or she dies."

Norrington stopped, his gaze flickering between jack and Jessie.

"Now, Commodore, you will hand my effects and my hat to this entrancing young lady. And, Miss Jessie, if you'd be so kind." He smiled smoothly.

Norrington slowly took the bundle, then hesitated.

"Commodore," Jack said threateningly, drawing the chains tighter around Jessie's neck.

Resigned, James gave Jessie the bundle. Jack whirled her around to face him.

"Now, darling, if you would please replace my things, I'd be much obliged," he said quietly, keeping an eye on the wary men.

"Jack, it's really you!" Jessie's voice trembled. "After all this time, you're here."

"I am indeed, love, but if you want to keep up your little charade, you'd better not act so excited."

Jessie shook as she strapped his belt around his waist and shoulders, missing the look Jack gave to Norrington. She pulled the buckle tightly, making him grunt, "Easy on the goods, there."

She tried to jam the hat on his head, making his grin widen. "What do you want me to do?" she asked.

"It's simple. I've saved your life, you save mine, we'll be square."

He whirled her around and slowly stepped backwards.

"Gentlemen, my lady," he called. Norrington and the soldiers crept forward with every step the pirate took. "This is the day that you will always remember as the day that you almost caught… Captain Jack Sparrow!"

With those words he shoved Jessie into Norrington and the governor. Jessie purposefully crashed into the men by throwing her weight forward, knocking them over.

"Now will you shoot him?" Governor Swan yelled.

"Open fire!" Norrington shouted.

Jessie looked up as the soldiers fired their muskets. To her astonishment, Jack was swinging above their heads, his chains attached to a crane. She heard his shout as the bullets whizzed him.

The governor dragged her away from the docks, saying, "Come now, Jessie, we must get you home. You are soaked through."

Jessie realized she was shaking, though from what, she couldn't say. She allowed him to take her to the carriage, but she continued to watch over her shoulder as Jack landed on the cobbled street and ran in the direction of Port Royal with the commodore and soldiers still following.

"Jessie!"

Elizabeth reached for her arm to help her into the carriage. "Jessie, darling, I'm so glad you are alright! I was so scared when you fell off, and then James wanted to go after you, and that _pirate_! Oh, Jessie, what did he do to you?"

"Nothing. He didn't _do_ anything to me, Lizzie; he saved me from drowning and asphyxiation is all he _did_."

Jessie missed the hurt expression on Elizabeth's face. The drenched girl wrapped her arms around herself and tried to control her shivering.

Governor Swan had sat himself next to Jessie and placed his coat around her again. He cupped her chin with his hand and looked intently at her.

"Are you sure you're well, Jessie?" he asked, concern in his voice.

Irritation seeped into her words as she spoke. "I believe this is the third time I've been asked that question, Governor, and I've said yes every time. I'm not a helpless child anymore."

The Swans fell silent, and Jessie was thankful when they arrived at the mansion and the maid servants whisked her away from the tense atmosphere.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

As soon as Jessie entered the house, her maidservants swooped in upon her like a bunch of hens. She stayed silent through the loud clucking and fussing and allowed them to peel her wet clothes off of her, stick her in a warm bath, and dress her in a thick nightdress. By the time she climbed into her bed, it was growing dark outside, and the girls informed her that the governor had gone to see Commodore Norrington and Elizabeth had gone to bed.

"Sarah," Jessie grabbed her arm before she could leave the room. "I want you to do something for me. Find out what you can about what has happened to Jack Sparrow, that pirate."

"But, Miss Jessie…" Sarah protested.

"Don't 'but' me, just do it!" Sarah looked hurt. Jessie took a deep breath to calm down. "Please, Sarah, this is very important. Find out as quickly as you can whether or not Jack Sparrow has left or if the soldiers caught him."

Sarah nodded. "I'll be back as soon as I can, Miss Jessie," she promised.

"Thank you." Jessie tried to smile and failed as she watched the girl slip out of the room.

Jessie lay back on her pillows and tried to read a novel, but her mind raced and wouldn't slow down. Finally, she shut the book and stared up at the ceiling.

"_Jack is here in Port Royal_," she kept thinking. "_He's here. And he's alive. He's here to commandeer a ship, so he must be going after the Pearl. I hope he hasn't left me here. How am I going to leave without…?_

_ "I can't,_" she realized. "_I can't leave now without everyone finding out."_

Bothered, Jessie got out of bed and paced slowly up and down the bedroom floor.

"Miss Jessie!" Sarah burst into the room, beaming with excitement. "Miss Jessie, I have the news!"

Jessie held the girl's shoulders and looked directly at her. "Yes?"

"The pirate is locked up in the jail; he's to hang in the morning. He was caught by Mister Brown in the smithy, but the rumor is that Will Turner trapped him there and Mister Brown merely cracked the pirate over the head with a bottle of rum." Sarah's eyes shone. "That William Turner was brave to take on Jack Sparrow like that."

"Yes. Yes, he was," Jessie murmured, her voice trailing off. Then she realized Sarah was still in the room. "Thank you, Sarah. You did well. Go on now."

The moment the maid left the room, Jessie uncovered her sea chest and opened the lid. She reached in and pulled out a pile of dark clothes, wrapped in which lay several other items that she took behind the changing screen

A knock on the door made her start up.

"Jessie?" Elizabeth peeked her head around the door before coming into the room. "Jessie, are you awake? I must—"

Jessie slipped behind Elizabeth and shut the door, locking it tightly. The girl's startled cry was cut short by Jessie's rough hand over her mouth.

"Do not scream," Jessie told her. "Do you understand?"

Elizabeth nodded. Jessie removed her hand.

"Jessie!" she exclaimed shrilly. "Jessie, what on earth are you holding? Why do you—"

Her mouth was covered again. "Hush, you excitable thing! Davy Jones, you you'll bring the entire house hold running to me. I am holding clothes more practical for sea faring, much more practical than sixteen underskirts and a corset. What are you doing in here? And speak quietly!"

"Sea faring? I don't understand." She rummaged through Jessie's small pile and held up a pistol and a belt of throwing knives. Her voice trembled. "You're a pirate?"

"Yes, Elizabeth." Jessie tried not to sound impatient. "I am a pirate. Now please tell me what you want."

"I… I wanted to show you something. I took it off of Will Turner when we found him and I thought you would know what it was."

Out of her dress she revealed a necklace that Jessie suddenly realized she had worn all day. On a golden chain hung a gold coin identical to the one on Jessie's neck, the skull glaring out at her.

The candle in Elizabeth's hand and on Jessie's bedside table blew out, throwing the girls into semi-darkness. Elizabeth grasped Jessie's arm.

"You have a medallion? From Will Turner?" Jessie held the coin in her fingers, rubbing her thumb over the cool metal. "Why didn't you say something to me before?"

"I don't know. I was going to, but you were so distracted that day and then I forgot about it until this afternoon when you saw that pirate. What is it?"

"It's a piece of Aztec gold, smuggled off of its island of death by greedy pirates."

The back of Jessie's neck prickled. She looked down at Port Royal, then at the sea.

"The gold put a curse on those who stole it," she continued grimly. "They would remain neither living nor dead until they returned every piece to its place on that island and gave a sacrifice in blood over the chest. The pirates feel the gold calling to them and follow it wherever it leads." She pointed to a dark ship coming into the harbor. "The gold has brought them here."

Elizabeth gasped. She stared at the gold coin, then drew her arm back.

"Don't throw it, ridiculous girl!" Jessie grabbed her wrist. "If you throw it, who knows where it will land? Keep it with you, and whatever you do, never let it out of your sight. Those pirates will do whatever, kill whomever, destroy whatever they have to in order to reclaim this coin."

"Then what do I do?" Elizabeth asked fearfully.

Jessie glanced back at the ship and saw that boats had been lowered from the side. Men rowed it silently to the sleeping town.

"Run as fast as you can run to the fort. Your father and fiancé are there now. They will protect you from these ruffians."

"And what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to go to the fort as well, but another way. It'll be better if Barbosa doesn't find both of them at once."

Elizabeth frowned. "Both of what?"

Jessie pushed her towards the door. "Never mind, we must run. Make straight for the fort, and whatever you do, do not lose that coin!"

Jessie threw her bundle back into the sea chest, locked it, and ran back to the balcony. The boats had come closer now, and as she wrapped her arms around the railings, she heard a raw shouting from the beach. Her feet felt for the tree branch that grew just below. In a quick movement, she released her hold on the railings and dropped onto the branch, holding the bark tightly. Then she climbed down the tree, landing in the garden.

Shouts came from the front of the house. Jessie stopped and listened. She thought her heard a scream from Elizabeth, followed by a loud cackle. For a brief moment, she considered going back into the house and protect Elizabeth, but she turned away and ran down the lawn to the gate.

Port Royal was overrun. Pirates sprang out of every corner, led by screaming women, crying children, and yelling men. Buildings exploded and caught fire. The townsmen drew their swords and brandished pistols and clashed with the pirates in the streets. From the ship in the harbor, cannon fire erupted, sending a rain of cannon balls at the town and the fort. Jessie felt the adrenaline pump through her veins as she heard familiar, hated voices gloating loudly as they ravaged the town. Without thinking she sprinted to Port Royal and the smithy.

Upon arrival she burst through the door. The building was empty, to her surprise, except for the faithful donkey Will used to turn a machine in the center of the room. Jessie took two swords, one in each hand, and hitched up her nightdress to her knees. Then she ran back out into the fray.

The first pirate she met was unknown to her. He sneered and made a rude sound. She promptly ran him through his middle, leaving him bleeding on the cobblestones. The next few surrounded her, trying to disarm and confuse her. In two strokes, she decapitated one and took the other one's sword, slicing the skin on his hand. Then she slit the throat of the third one.

From further away, she saw Will defending a woman and her two small children. She pushed her way past the crowd and stood at his side. Will felt her against him and turned.

"Jessie!" he exclaimed. "What are you—"

"Never mind, Will! Let's just get these people to the fort."

A sudden triumphant shouting made them both look to the harbor. To Jessie's horror, a band of pirates were rushing down to the beach, leading Elizabeth along. The girl met Jessie's gaze, a terrified expression on her face.

"Elizabeth!" Jessie shouted. Ignoring Will as he called out to her, she dropped both of her swords and tried to reach the pirates and the boat, which they were shoving off in the direction of the ship. But the thick crowd of men made it impossible.

Someone grabbed her from behind. Before she could retaliate, she was hit over the back of the head and knew nothing more.

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_A woman is sitting next to her. Her skin is the color of coffee, and her black hair is twisted in dreadlocks. Her eyes are large and round, with dots of paint underneath her eye lids and on her cheeks._

_ Jessie turns on her comfortable bed and groans, making the woman smile. It isn't an unpleasant smile, even though her teeth are stained._

_ "Did ye sleep well, Miz Jessie?" she asks in her strange, unidentifiable accent. "Ye brotha be waitin' for ye outside."_

_ "I did, actually," Jessie mumbles, "until you woke me up so suddenly. I was having a nice dream, too, Tia, why'd you have to wake me?"_

_ "Jack be itchin' to go to Davy Jones' island, and he doesn't want to be late. Ye'd better git up, Swiftblade, afore he comes in 'imself and takes ye over his shoulder."_

_ Jessie jumps out of the covers and hurriedly throws on her clothes, as well as a belt that fastens over her shoulder. Tia watches her fondly without moving._

_ There are footsteps outside her door. It opens, and Jack comes inside._

_ "Finally awake, are we, Jess?" he remarks. "Did ye sleep well? Sure you wouldn't rather stay here with Tia and sleep for another century?"_

_ "Shut up, Jack," Jessie barks. "Ye kept me up late with your stories, so I blame you. I am ready now."_

_ Tia stands up and bends down to look into Jessie's face. "I told ye before, girl, dat ye had a touch of destiny about you. Dis adventure may take you to places ye've never seen or heard of, so enjoy it. I see many ting's in ye future, good and bad. Enjoy de good and learn from de bad. But for now, go on and always remember me."_

Groggily, Jessie opened her eyes. Sunlight blinded her, and she blinked rapidly. She put her hands down on the floor.

"Don't sit up yet," Will's voice said. "You got knocked across the head pretty hard."

Jessie slowly turned her head and looked around. She was lying on the floor of the smithy under the window, wrapped in a blanket and a rolled up shirt under her head. Will leaned against the wall, where he had been all night watching out the window. When he saw her eyes were opened, he came down to her and knelt beside at her side.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

She sat up gingerly, wincing as her head pounded. "Like I've been hit by a club." A knot had formed on the back of her head, and her fingers touched it warily. "What happened, Will?"

"One of the pirates hit you over the head with the pommel of his sword. I grabbed you and brought you here."

"What happened to the woman and her children?"

"I took them to the fort before coming back here to you. They're safe."

Jessie rose to her feet. Her head continued to throb, but it lessened rapidly. "Speaking of safe, Governor Swan must be frantic."

Suddenly, she remembered Elizabeth. A wave of emotions hit her harder than the pirate had, forcing her to sink to her knees again. Will frowned, concern etched on his face.

"They took Lizzie," she whispered.

Will shook his head. "What?"

She felt a tear roll down her cheek. "They took Elizabeth, Will. Those pirates have her on that ship."

He blinked and shook his head again, horrified. More tears ran down Jessie's face, no matter how hard she squeezed her eyes. Will wrapped his arm around her shoulders and held her tightly.

"I have to go after her, Will," Jessie whimpered. "It's my fault she's on that accursed ship."

"No, Jess—"

"Yes, it is! I told her to go to the fort without me, and I…" She choked on her sobs. "I heard her scream and ignored it. I have to go after the ship."

Will said nothing for a moment and wiped her face dry with his thumb. Then, when her muffled crying began to subside, he spoke.

"Listen to me, Jessie. You can't blame yourself for Elizabeth. There's nothing you could've done. You would've been taken with them just like her. And you won't go after her. You wouldn't even know where to start!"

Jessie said nothing, just took in a deep, shaky breath.

"Now, let's get you to the governor to give him some peace of mind."

She nodded and allowed him to gently lead her out of the smithy and to the fort. As they walked, her mind raced.

They entered the main courtyard of the fort, where Commodore Norrington and the governor pored over a table covered with maps. At the sound of their footsteps, the men looked up. Jessie was comforted slightly to see some of the worry drain from their faces.

"Jessie! My dear, I'm so thankful you're alright." Governor Swan embraced her. "Are you hurt?"

"No, no, Will took care of me. They took Elizabeth, Governor Swan. The pirates took her."

"Yes, we know." The governor patted her arm and leaned over the table once more, as if the ship would appear on the map with its location written down.

"One of my men saw her being led away last night," Norrington explained.

"We have to go after her!" Jessie exclaimed. "We have to find her."

"Where? Where do you propose we start? If you have any idea of where to find my daughter, please tell me!"

Jessie was so taken aback by the governor's tirade she took a step back. Governor Swan went to a window, hands behind his back.

"We could ask Jack Sparrow," she suggested. Norrington glared at her. "He might know the ship and where it makes berth, ask him!"

"No," Norrington scoffed disgustedly. "I would rather cut off my right hand than ask a pirate for help." Jessie pressed her lips together.

"Then I will go after her."

The two men stared at her incredulously.

"You'll do no such thing, you silly girl," Governor Swan retorted. Norrington looked as though he wasn't sure whether to laugh or scold. "You'll go to the rooms upstairs and stay there until we can return home."

"We will send out our fastest ships in every direction, Governor," Norrington told him. "No pirate has ever outrun the _Interceptor_."

"You will never catch the _Black Pearl_."

Norrington raised an eyebrow. "I beg your pardon?"

Jessie crossed her arms over her chest. "The _Black Pearl_ is faster than any other ship in the Navy. You'll never catch her."

"Miss Swan, I hardly think now is the time for old wives' tales."

"Did you not see the black sails, Commodore Norrington," she replied just as evenly. "There is only one ship in the Caribbean that has black sails. And how many corpses of pirates have you found? If I may guess, hardly any. All of the "stories", as you call them, say that the _Pearl_ has a cursed crew and captain, a curse that won't let them die. Jack Sparrow knows the _Black Pearl_ and its crew and where it is going now with Elizabeth. Ask him."

"I believe, Commodore, it is time for Miss Jessie to retire to her room," Governor Swan said, without looking at her.

"Of course, Governor. Mister Turner, thank you for returning Miss Swan to us. You may go now."

Will spoke for the first time, his voice hard. "You know she's right, Commodore. Jack Sparrow is your only hope of finding Miss Swan."

"Mister Turner, you are out of line." Commodore Norrington pulled him into a corner. "You are not a sailor. You are not a soldier. You are a blacksmith. Do NOT make the mistake of thinking you are capable of deciding things like this."

Jessie's heart had warmed at Will's response, but her anger flared brightly. Will bowed stiffly and left the room, and Norrington took her arm to lead her out, as well.

"Those pirates will have killed Elizabeth before you find her," Jessie called loudly enough for the governor to hear.

"Hush, Jessie!" Norrington shook her arm. "Why do you insist upon making this worse? What can you, a woman, do here? You are causing the governor more grief by your conduct!"

Jessie fell silent until they reached the rooms. As Norrington opened the door, she looked at him pleadingly.

"Take me back to the mansion."

"No, Miss Swan, the governor wants—"

"I will come back, James, I just want to go back and collect a few things. I've been in this shift all night."

He glanced down at her dirty clothes, then sighed. "Alright."

He said nothing to her during the entirety of the carriage ride to the Swan mansion. She ignored him completely, focused as she was on the damage on Port Royal. When they arrived, she let Norrington help her down and walked as slowly as she could manage into the mansion.

The door had been forced open, and the butler lay dead on the entry rug, a bullet through his head. Jessie called out. Her words echoed throughout the empty house, sounding eerie and small. Her feet made no sound as she ascended the staircase up to her room.

Everything was as she left it, including her sea chest in a dark corner. She shut the door and locked it.

"Forgive me, James," she said to herself. "But I must go after the _Pearl_."

Jessie moved quickly now that her mind was made up. She threw open the lid of her chest, withdrew her bundle, and spread out its contents. A pair of breeches, a dark top, a pair of boots, and a belt of throwing knives. Moments later, her nightdress lay on the floor as she studied her reflection. She fastened the belt over her shoulder, which made the medallion press against her skin.

_"Soon_," she thought grimly. _"Very soon, Barbosa."_

She climbed down the balcony for the second time and ran in the direction of Port Royal. At the edge of the town, she looked back at the mansion.

"Goodbye," she whispered. Then she turned away and headed for the prisions.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

As she entered the town, Jessie made sure to keep out of sight in order to not frighten Port Royal further. In the light of day, she could see the full extent of the damage. Most of the buildings had gaping holes in the walls with charred edges. Women held their children close as they picked through the remains of their homes. Jessie paused to watch a small girl take up a doll and hug it delightedly.

The prisons suffered minimal damage, just one hole in a far wall. Jessie slipped past the bodies of the prison guards and crept down the stone stairs, her heart pounding.

To her complete surprise, voices echoed up the passageways, men's voices.

"Well, Mister Turner," Jack said, "I've changed me mind. If you can spring me from this here cell without bringing Norrington and his horde running, I shall aid you in your quest to go after Barbosa and Miss Swan."

Jessie rounded a corner to find Will and Jack shaking hands through the bars of Jack's cell. Will was leaning on a bench that had been propped into the door at an angle, as though he wanted to try and use it as a lever to pull apart the door. A moment later, he did precisely that. With a grunt, he leaned his full weight on the one end of the bench, and the door came up off its hinges with a groan and a clatter.

Jack reached for his "effects", as he called them, which had sat in a corner since his arrest.

"Hurry," Will urged. "Someone might've heard that."

"No, they wouldn't."

Both men jumped at the sound of Jessie's voice and reached for their swords. Will stared suspiciously at her.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

She stepped into the light from the cell windows.

"Jess!" Jack exclaimed. "I guessed you'd be comin' around shortly. But your work has already been started for you. Seems as though young Turner here wishes to have me freed as well."

"What are you doing here, Jessie?" Will asked. "Governor Swan ordered you to stay in the fort."

"Governor Swan," she replied coldly, "will never find his daughter. He has no idea where to start or how to begin looking. Norrington won't have much better luck. I've come to ask Jack to help me find Elizabeth, since I believe it will benefit both of us." She glanced at Jack significantly. A hint of a smile came into his eyes.

"But you don't know where to start either," Will began.

"The Isla de Muerta," she interrupted. "Barbosa and his crew will take Lizzie to the Island of Death. I do know as much about that ship as Jack does, Will, but right now, I can't waste time explaining things to you." She turned to Jack. "There are several ships still out in the harbor. Commodore Norrington is having them loaded well so he can look for his fiancé."

Jack nodded. "Off we go, then."

"Wait, 'we'?" Will stopped Jessie with his arm. "You cannot come with us, Miss Jessie."

"I'm not going with you anywhere, William, I'm going with Jack." She tried to brush past him. "And you are staying here! You're already in danger of a guard finding you here with two pirates, one newly sprung from his jail very expertly. Norrington will hang you if he catches you sailing with us."

"I'm coming with you." Will held her arm and forced her to look at him. "If you're going, I am too."

Jack stepped between the two. "If I might interject," he said dryly, "William is coming with us, Jess. He would be good to have aboard."

Jessie glared at Jack, who took her arm firmly and led her up the stone steps. "Come along, Mister Turner," he called over his shoulder.

"Jack, you can't let him come!" Jessie quietly insisted. "What purpose would he serve going with us?"

"He can be a bit of leverage if need be," Jack whispered. "He's Bootstrap's child. Ain't you noticed the resemblance?"

"Of course I have! I knew the moment I met him. That's all the more reason he cannot come. Those pirates will…" She stopped.

"I understand you're attached to the fellow, but he's coming." Jack said nothing more until they reached the docks.

Will peered over their shoulders. "We're going to steal a ship," he remarked, suddenly understanding. He pointed. "That ship?"

"We are not going to steal a ship," Jack replied a little haughtily. "We are going to commandeer a ship. Commandeer is a nautical term. And we are going to use THAT ship," he pointed at the _Dauntless_, "to commandeer _that_ one." He indicated to the _Interceptor_.

Jessie smiled as old habits began to arise within her. "We can get to the_ Dauntless_ with those boats."

The men looked over at the beach where a line of rowboats lay upside down on the sand.

"Well done, Jess." Jack crept out of their hiding place under a bridge and down to the boats.

Before Jessie could move, Will turned to her. "How do you know Jack Sparrow?"

"Will, I really don't think now—"

He put a hand up to silence her. "Alright. I won't ask now. But you will tell me as soon as we are safely away."

"I can't promise to answer everything."

He studied her. "We'll see."

Jessie waited until Will and Jack were both under one of the boats, then snuck to the boat herself. Once she reached it and crawled underneath, the three of them walked quickly down the sand and into the water, carrying the boat over them. This created a pocket of air once they were submerged.

"This is either madness, or brilliance."

Jessie grinned at Will's comment.

"Often there's a fine line between which the two coincide. Go on, Jess." Jack motioned upwards with his head. "Get us a way up onto that ship."

Jessie took a deep breath and dove beneath the water. With three hard kicks she propelled herself forward. The salt water burned her eyes. She saw the shadow of a ship looming over and angled upwards.

Cautiously, her head broke the surface of the water, and she looked up at the ship. The _Dauntless_ seemed even more impressive. From on board, Jessie heard the shouting of crew members and the officers as they prepared the ship for voyage. She swam to the side of the ship and ran one of her daggers into the wood, holding on tightly. Her eyes scanned the railings of the ship, then she reached down to her belt and withdrew a slim knife. Out of the pommel she retracted a slender greyish rope. It coiled several times, and she held it in her hand. With her free hand, she swung the rope over her head in an ever-widening circle. Suddenly, she let go. The knife soared up and over the rails and caught on something. She tugged hard on the rope, satisfied with herself.

"Ready, Jess?"

Will and Jack's heads appeared next to her. She gave the rope one more jerk.

"Who wants to go first?" She grinned mischievously.

The three climbed up the rope quickly, slipping over the railings like rats. Jessie retrieved her knife and tucked it away.

"Tia always gave you the best," Jack whispered to her a little sulkily. Another grin broke over her face.

The crew stood together on the deck. Jack straightened and brandished his sword.

"Everyone stay calm!" he called loudly. "We are taking over this ship!"

"Aye! Avast!" Will came forward, sword by his face.

The crew laughed. Jessie and Jack stared at Will, who raised his eyebrows.

"You'll never be able to command this ship with three people," said the officer. Jessie realized it was Gillette. A smug expression sat on his face. "You'll never make it out of the bay."

Jack strode forward and raised his pistol to Gillette's forehead. "Son," he said mockingly, "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow. Savvy?"

Gillette and the crew laughed again, drawing their swords at the same time. "Then I see we'll be arresting you or the second time, Captain." Gillette advanced slowly while the rest of the men circled the two pirates and Will.

Jessie moved faster than they could follow. She flicked her wrists, and three men fell to the deck, holding their arms and dropping their weapons. By the time Gillette had recovered, four more men found themselves on the deck, three were unconscious, and Jessie had disarmed him and pinned him against the wall.

"Miss Jessie!" he gasped, recognizing her instantly. "By heaven, child, what do you think—"

"Tell the governor and Norrington that I've gone to find Elizabeth." She dragged the stunned man over to the lifeboats, keeping the razor edge of her dagger at his neck. Will and Jack tossed the rest of the crew into the other boat and lowered them into the water.

Gillette managed to catch hold of Jessie's sleeve. "Listen to me," he hissed urgently. "You are a good girl, Miss Jessie, but you are making a mistake. Your father and Norrington will find your sister; you just have to give them some time!"

She jerked angrily, tearing her sleeve to the shoulder. "I am not a Swan!" she replied vehemently. "I never was, and I never will be. Now, you perform your duty, Left tenant Gillette."

With a start the boat dropped hit the water, knocking Gillette over. Jessie watched the two boats as they rowed as hard as they could to the _Interceptor_ and the docks. She heard Gillette shouting and saw his waving to the commodore and his first mate on the stern. Norrington raised his telescope and peered at the _Dauntless_. Defiantly, Jessie stared back for a moment, then turned to help Will and Jack.

"What's next, Jack?" she asked.

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The _Interceptor_ overtook the _Dauntless_ within minutes. The sailors flooded the deck as Norrington called out, "Search every nook and cranny on this ship. I want those pirates and Mr. Turner found!"

Norrington and his men combed every part of the ship and found nothing. They returned to the top deck to search again. A clatter and a splash caught Norrington's attention. He whirled around and saw the _Interceptor_ sailing away with Jack, Will, and Jessie standing onboard. Jack waved his tri-cornered over his head and called out something Norrington didn't care to decipher. Several of the soldiers fired their muskets and missed terribly- the three fugitives hardly had to duck.

"Bring out the long nine! I want every gun loaded and ready to fire now," he ordered his first mate, who repeated this to the rest of the crew. They jumped into action.

"We are to fire on our own ships then, eh?" the first mate muttered.

Norrington leaned over the railing and glared at the ship. "I'd rather see her at the bottom of the sea than in the hands of that pirate."

"And you think the governor will be satisfied when you tell him you've sunk his adopted daughter and the town's favorite son?"

"I…" He paused. "Those two will be brought back and tried. They know the penalty to aiding a pirate."

"Commodore!"

Norrington turned to the sailor at the tiller.

"He's disconnected the rudder cable, sir."

Norrington pressed his lips together in a thin line as he watched his ship get farther and farther away.

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Jessie tied down the last of the lines and glanced back at the _Dauntless_, now a spot on the horizon. Jack stood at the helm, nonchalantly keeping the ship on a steady course. Will looked back as well.

"I can't believe that worked," he laughed. "I thought Norrington would find us for sure."

Jack smirked.

"So, William, tell me about yourself. What was your father like?"

Jessie watched Jack's face carefully, thinking she knew why he wanted to know. William, however, remained ignorant.

"My parents and I lived in London. My father was a captain on a merchant vessel, so we didn't see him much…"

Jessie left them still discussing Will's father. She knew from previous talks with Will that his mother believed her husband to be a merchant sailor, honest and law-abiding. She also knew from experience that this was not the case.

Bootstrap Bill had been his name amongst almost all pirates, though he had permitted Jack and Jessie to call him Bill Turner. During his time on the _Black Peal_, Jessie found him to be less calloused than most pirates, but he still plundered and pillaged with the best. He had been known throughout the Caribbean as gifted with medicines and healing remedies, and had taught her all he knew at her persistent asking.

Jessie smiled as she removed golden loops from a secret pocket. She remembered Bill and his face as if he had just left the room. He had become very fond of Jessie, saying she as "about the same age as me Will. And ye be such a pretty thing."

They had never known how Bill had figured out she was girl, even after all the precautions she and Jack had taken to ensure everyone mistook her for a boy. He had winked at her and said nothing when she questioned him about it.

She held up the largest of the looped earrings and pierced it through her ear. Soon, she had three smaller versions next to it in her right earlobe, and one thick one in her left. Bill had always enjoyed watching her flinch when he flicked an earring. One day, she hadn't heard him coming. He had roared with laughter when he discovered one of her knives at his throat.

"Swiftblade!" he guffawed. "Yer name be now Swiftblade!"

The name had stuck, much to Bill's pleasure.

Jessie ran her fingers through her tangled hair and decided she didn't feel like brushing it. Jack had never insisted she keep her appearance up, but Bill sometimes did.

"A pirate should not look like a lady!" Jessie would protest when he tried to make her brush her hair.

"And why not?" he would always ask. She never came up with a reply.

She climbed up the stairs to the top deck, still smiling over her memories. Her smile faded when she took in the scene on the deck.

Will was lying on the deck, his sword by his head. Jack's weapon was pointed at Will's nose. He was saying something in an undertone that Jessie couldn't catch. Much to her relief, Will took the hand Jack offered and stood up. Jack smiled his odd, mysterious smirk Jessie knew so well.

"Ah, Jess!" Jack called out. "Welcome back. You may be pleased to know that young William here has agreed to sail under the colours of a pirate, at least for the time being."

"Really?" she said, mildly surprised. Will had an intense dislike of pirates and sympathized with Norrington about making sure every one of them received justice.

Will grinned a little sheepishly. "Jack and I reached an accord."

Jessie nodded disinterestedly. "Well, then I suppose we shall have smooth sailing." She reached for the rigging and started to climb up the main mast. "I'll keep a lookout," she called down.

The wind blew harder the farther up the pole she climbed, but Jessie breathed in the salty air deeply. She loved the smell of the ocean and the way the breeze would play with her long black hair. When she climbed into the Crow's Nest, she looked around. She knew she wouldn't see anything but water, which is exactly what she wanted to see.

Will suddenly stood beside her in the tiny space.

"Will!" she gasped. He chuckled.

"What are you doing up here?"

Will held on to the mast as the ship lurched. Jessie tried to lean away as she felt how close he was to her.

"You never answered my question."

"You must hear how I came to know Jack Sparrow?"

He nodded.

"Why?"

"Just answer the question."

Jessie spoke carefully. "A pirate captain wished to kill me when I was a baby. His wife—my mother—had an affair with another pirate onboard the captain's ship named Rufio Delacruz. Jack came to my rescue and convinced the captain to keep me and let me grow up on the _Queen Anne_."

"How old was Jack?"

"Twelve, I think."

Will nodded.

"Why do you need to know?" she asked.

"You two acted as though you knew each other very well is all."

Jessie narrowed her eyes. "And that bothers you?"

He shrugged and looked away. Jessie continued to gaze at him suspiciously.

"Why are you a pirate?" he asked suddenly.

She blinked. "I was born one. It's all I've ever known."

"That's not true. You've lived amongst civilized people for nearly ten years."

"And I hated it all," she shot back, growing annoyed. "Why all the questions, Will? We're friends, don't you trust me?"

Will said nothing. A horrible thought came to her, and she gently touched Will's sleeve.

"We are still friends, right, Will?"

Will stared at her, biting his lip. But before either could speak again, another voice broke their silence.

"Come down here, Jess! I want to speak with ye."

Jessie glanced down at Jack and brushed by Will without looking at him, not wanting to see the answer to her question in his face. She slid down the rigging so quickly her hands burned like fire. Jack seemed to take no notice of her mood and led her by the arm to the captain's quarters.

"Keep 'er goin at a steady pace, William!" he called over his shoulder.

Once they were inside and Jack had made sure the door was bolted, he gave Jessie an enormous hug that took her breath away. Jessie wrapped her arms around him and hugged him fiercely, burying her nose in his dreadlocks and breathing in his familiar smell.

"I can't believe I found you," she gasped into his shoulder. "I knew you would get off that island, and then there were rumours that you had been spotted and were pillaging again, but I never saw you, no matter how many times I went to Tortuga."

Jack smiled. "I never thought you would escape Barbosa."

Jessie held him for a moment longer, then let go. Jack studied her face, running a finger over the scar on her cheek.

"How did ye get off the _Pearl_ and end up in Port Royal?"

Jessie stared out one of the small windows. Her joy faded as memories replayed in her mind for the millionth time…

_The first thing Jessie heard was the sea crashing against the side of the ship. As she opened her eyes, the faint light from holes above her head and the barred door told her she was in the ship's prisons._

_ Groggily, she sat up. Her head pounded, and when she touched it gingerly, she felt a knot between her fingers. The ship lurched, making her groan._

_ A hatch was opened above, and heavy boots clomped down the stairs. Jessie shrank away instinctively, crouching in the darkest corner of her cell. To her surprise, Bill Turner appeared._

_ "Hush now, child," he whispered as she opened her mouth. "Tis jus' me."_

_ Bill unlocked the door and knelt at her side. A hunk of bread and a flask were in his hands. Jessie eyed him suspiciously._

_ "What's that?" she growled._

_ "Tis just bread and water. Ye've been drugged these last few days, and I think ye need a bit of real food. Go on, eat up. Tis all I could get fer ye."_

_ His words sank in. "Days?"_

_ He nodded. "Aye, lass. Barbosa and the rest of the crew marooned Captain Jack three days ago. They threw you in here, unconscious, and kept ye drugged up so as to keep ye quiet."_

_ Jessie's throat became constricted, and she angrily wiped away tears. To distract herself, she tore into the bread and gulped down the water._

_ Bill reached behind him. Jessie watched his hands closely, tensing herself for a sudden spring._

_ " 'Ere, lass." He handed her a belt and several knives. "Tis yer arsenal of throwin' knives. I never knew as you carried so many."_

_ Jessie buckled the belt around her shoulder and her waist. It had been specially made for her by Tia the last time she had gone to visit her with Jack._

_ Jack… The thought of him stranded on that deserted beach brought back the anger and the helplessness she so hated. Bill read her thoughts._

_ "I'm very sorry about Jack. I tried to warn the both of ye before Barbosa attacked, but they found out about it and left me tied up below. But ye must steel yerself now. The crew is all onshore spendin' the Aztec gold, and ye won't have another chance to escape."_

_ "Escape?" she repeated. Bill brought her to her feet and gently pushed her along. "I'm a pirate, Bill, any fool can see that!" To prove her point, she indicated to her clothes, jewelry, and tattoo on her exposed shoulder. "Where am I to go?"_

_ "How old be ye now? Ten?"_

_ She nodded._

_ "Ah, there's plenty o' time to break all ye pirate habits, Sweetheart. Go live with some respectable Spanish family. Tis what ye deserve."_

_ Jessie curled her lip scornfully at the thought of living amongst pomp and finery. She knew she wouldn't have any trouble communicating as Jack's father had made sure to make her learn Spanish, but she felt uncertain that any wealthy person would adopt her._

_ "Now," Bill continued, "Barbosa left meself and Rufio aboard the ship. Rufio 'as drunk 'imself into a stupor, but ye best be wary of him still. Ye know what he'll do to ye if'n he catches ye."_

_ Jessie shivered as she remembered Rufio Delacruz's cruelty. After his desertion of the _Queen Anne_, she and Jack thought he had left them alone for good. Her father had slipped onboard the _Pearl_ less than a year ago, however, and for some reason unknown to her, Jack had allowed him to stay, though they both knew who he was. Since then, he had haunted Jessie with his strange looks and mean tricks._

_ "There be one boat left. I've stowed away as much provisions as I could, but it ain't much. Ye'll have to row to the other side of the isle and stow away on another ship, p'rhaps."_

_ Jessie nodded again. Bill embraced her fondly and murmured into her ear._

_ "Ye are a good girl, Jessie. May ye have good fortune and the winds be in ye favor."_

_ Jessie buried her face in the coat of the only man she had ever let herself consider her father. She wanted to remember the feel of his shirt, the smell of his vest, and the sound of his voice forever. Bill patted her back._

_ "Go on, now, or ye'll lose yer chance."_

_ Silently, Jessie slipped up the stairs and through the open hatch. The deck was deserted. From the beach, Jessie heard the loud, raucous singing of the drunken crew._

Fifteen men on a dead man's chest!

Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!

_ They repeated that line and others like it several times before laughing uproariously and calling to girls for more rum and wine. Jessie cursed them under her breath. Then she turned her attention to the boat._

_ The dinghy dropped to the water faster than she had expected, landing with a startling splash. Jessie cringed and looked around. No one onshore seemed to be disturbed, nor did Rufio appear. Bill had stayed below deck to make it look like Jessie had picked the lock and escaped. _

_ Jessie drew her knife with the rope in the pommel and drove the blade into the side of the ship, letting the rope dangle down. Then she put her hands on the slender cord._

_ "Goin' somewhere?"_

_ Strong fingers held her wrists and wrenched her around. Jessie stared into her father's face, a mixture of fear and loathing filling her._

_ "Why, Miss Jessie!" he drawled out. "Leavin' us so soon, are ye? Please stay, I beg of ye. Such a pretty lass hasn't been seen on this 'ere ship in far too long!"_

_ Rufio brought her closer to him. Jessie kneed him savagely, and, as he bent over in pain, punched him in the nose. Blood flowed freely down his face. Rufio's grip loosened, and she wriggled free. _

_ The boat had drifted away by this time, but Jessie slid down the rope anyway and sank beneath the waves. She came back up quickly and glanced at the ship. To her relief, Rufio hadn't jumped overboard. She tugged on the rope twice, pulling the knife free, and swam as hard as she could towards the row boat._

_ The moon was full, illuminating the darkness. Jessie clambered into the boat and saw Bill had proven good to his word. Oars lay over a small bundle protectively, and a small bottle filled with some dark liquid lay next to it. As scared as she was of Rufio following her, Jessie had to rest and catch her breath. She cursed her weakened state._

_ "I see ye, Missy!"_

_ Rufio jumped from the _Pearl_ and swam over to her. Jessie barely had time to put the oars in place and pull hard on them once before he caught side of the boat and pulled himself in._

_ "Ye are a nasty little witch!" he snarled. He wore no shirt, just tattered breeches, and a bandana around his dark head. On his thin chest, Jessie saw something glittering on a chain. "I'm gonna rip out yer guts and throw ye to the sharks!"_

_ Something shone in Rufio's hand. Jessie ducked as he swung a knife at her throat. The pirate growled in frustration as she evaded his grasp. Jessie drew a knife and attempted to parry his blows, but her weakened condition and his superior strength resulted in Jessie knocked down to the bench and a long gash across her chest. Rufio leaned his full weight on her and ran his blade through her middle. _

_ Jessie gasped and stared at the hilt protruding from her stomach. Rufio sneered._

_ "Too bad ye won't be stayin' with us on the _Pearl_, miss, but we just can't have any of Jack's riffraff onboard."_

_ With a sudden energy born of desperation, Jessie cracked Rufio across the face with an oar. He reeled back and tripped, stunned. Jessie grabbed the necklace he wore and rolled him over the side of the boat. Pain gripped her, forcing her to lean heavily on the small bench. She replaced the oar and struggled to row away. Rufio thrashed about in the water, panicked and screaming horrible curses at her._

_ Jessie's breath came in ragged pants, but she pressed on. Rufio had recovered and was swimming towards her. Something bumped against the side of the boat, and Jessie saw a tall dorsal fin slicing through the water. Three or four others joined the first. The girl held still, her heart beginning to race again. Sharks lived in abundance in the waters by the unnamed islands where Barbosa stayed to enjoy his plunder, and Rufio's vigorous splashing had attracted them like moths to a flame._

_ Rufio hadn't seen the carnivorous fish yet and kept splashing away. Jessie watched with a horrid fascination as the sharks began bumping into the drunken pirate. Rufio started and noticed the evil-looking fins that surrounded him. With a terrible screech, he tried to swim faster, aggravating the sharks further. Jessie strained once more on the oars, ignoring Rufio's pleas and cries for help, until she no longer heard him and the lights from the shore were tiny dots on the horizon. _

_ Exhaustion overcame her, and she slumped forward. She stared at the necklace in her hand. It was a coin, one of the Aztec coins from the dreaded Isla de Muerta. Jessie smiled a small smile of satisfaction, knowing that Barbosa and his crew would never break the spell hanging over them as long as she had this coin._

_ Blackness shrouded her vision, and she passed out on the bottom of the boat, the knife still in her stomach, the coin clutched in her death grip._

Jessie fingered the medallion around her neck. Jack had listened to her tale without interrupting, staring at her with a blank expression.

"I don't know how long I drifted," she resumed after a moment. "It couldn't have been too long. Anyway, by some strange chance I drifted past one of Governor Swan's ships. Elizabeth saw me and alerted Norrington, who had me brought aboard. The doctor managed to save me, but I remained weak for a long time. Elizabeth took care of me, even after we reached Port Royal and I was staying in the doctor's house. I made up some story which she bought, and consequently, everyone else did, too. Elizabeth grew quite fond of me, and I eventually came to love her back. She convinced the governor to adopt me, and I lived with them for three years until her uncle in Barbados died and left me his estate. Evidently he thought I would know how to better care for it than Elizabeth or his son. While on Barbados, I managed to steal away on a ship every now and then and make my way to Tortuga, where I would search for any bit of information about you. But no one knew where you were or where you were going."

She smiled at Jack. "I knew you would be going after Barbosa, and I knew you would have to go to Tortuga sometime for a crew, so I convinced some of the boys there to have word sent to me whenever you landed. I just never thought you would be so desperate as to try and steal a ship from Port Royal itself."

Jack placed a kiss on her forehead and ran his fingers through her hair. "I'm glad we found each other. I didn't think Barbosa would keep ye alive for very long, and I didn't want to think of what he'd do to ye if'n he did."

Jessie felt a tremor run through him.

"How did you get off the island, Jack?"

"What, the countless stories of my escape aren't enough to satisfy ye?" he replied cheekily. A twinkle reappeared in his eyes.

Jessie laughed. "They're all nonsense. The most ridiculous tells of how you charmed Calypso into teleporting you to wherever you wished. No, I want to know how you really got off that island."

Jack's grin grew, showing his golden teeth. "Well, Jess, I stood out in the sea for three days and nights, until all the little creatures became used to my presence…"

Jessie punched his shoulder. "Fine, Jack, then don't tell me. Will you tell me where we're headed to now?"

"That pompous little git was right when he said we can't sail this ship with three people. We can make it for a little while, but when I recover the _Pearl_, I'm gonna need more crew mates than yerself and William. So I'm on me way to findin' us a crew."

Jessie knew where they were headed. "Tortuga."

"Aye. Tortuga."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

The smell of the island carried across the clear Caribbean water and hit Jessie long before she saw Tortuga from the crow's nest. It smelled of thick body odor and a mixture of liquors. Below, Will made a face.

"Whew! What is that smell?" he asked disgustedly. "It smells like refuse."

"That, young William, is the ever-inviting smell of our destination." Jack stared out at the sea nonchalantly.

Will coughed. "Where in the Caribbean are we going?"

"To a tiny island that civilized countries pretend to own called Tortuga. We pirates have been using that island for as long as we've been around as a… private getaway, you may call it." A devilish twinkle came into Jack's eyes.

Jessie laughed to herself. Yes, Tortuga could be called a private getaway. The island was well fortified against any attack, though the threat of one was unlikely. Pirates stayed on Tortuga for easy fun and a break from the stresses of pillaging. As the first signs of the island came into sight, Jessie's mouth began to water at the thought of eating the delicious food of the Sea Woman.

The _Interceptor_ docked that evening. From the town came the sounds of revelry, angry shouting, and occasional breaking of glass. Will eyed it dubiously, but Jessie and Jack walked up the dock and into the town without hesitation. Jack took along a bucket of seawater and kept mysteriously silent.

Jessie breathed in the reek, feeling the homesickness that had welled up inside her since she had moved in with the Swan's melt away. Run-down houses and taverns lined the dirty streets. A sickly yellow light came out of every window and flooded the road whenever a door opened. In every place where one could sit or stand was a human body, some lying prone in the muck, some sitting against a keg with a tankard in hand, and others walking from one building to another accompanied by several comrades. The men called out to each other in loud voices, the women in brazen ones. The rag-tag children ran through the streets and between the people, making mischief wherever they went.

"Oy there, Swiftblade!" one particularly drunk man yelled. He smiled stupidly, showing the gaps in his teeth.

Jessie didn't turn or reply. Will instinctively touched her arm and glanced back.

The man laughed. "I see ye've found yeself a body guard, Swiftblade! Was the sea life too much fer ye?" He fell over from laughing so hard.

Will felt Jessie's arm twitch, then realized she was no longer at his side. A cry from the man made him and Jack turn around.

One of Jessie's knives had buried itself in the ground by the man's face. Jessie held another knife at the man's throat and kept him on the ground. Will stepped forward, but Jack's hand stopped him.

"Leave them," he murmured. "Jess can take care of herself."

"What do you think, ye lily-livered scum?" Jessie hissed into the man's face. "Do ye think I need a body guard?"

Though his wits were severely clouded, the man was savvy enough to realize the girl pinning him down could inflict serious damage upon him with the cruel-looking blade at his throat. He shook his head profusely and stammered, "N-no, Swiftblade!"

His breath caused Jessie to grimace. She stood and picked up the blade in the dirt before casting the man a contemptuous look and returning to Jack and Will.

"I believe the Sea Woman is right over there, Jack," she remarked. Her lips held the trace of a satisfied grin. As she walked away, she heard Will remark to Jack, "I've never seen anyone move so fast!"

The smile that had remained hidden could not be held back any longer.

Jack stopped Jessie before she could go any farther. "Hold up there, Jess! There's someone I need to take along with us."

He walked over to a particularly dark corner, where a man lay against several large pigs. Jack promptly splashed the man with the remaining contents of his bucket. A considerable amount landed all over the man, and the rest startled the pigs into moving. The man awoke with a splutter and a curse.

"Curse ye fer breathin', ye slack-jawed idiot! What be the meanin' o' this?" he roared. Then he saw who stood above him. He laughed with relief.

"Ah, Jack, ye shouldn't wake a man when he be sleepin'! Tis bad luck, ye know."

Jack knelt down at the man's side. "Yes, well, fortunately, I knows how to remedy that. Ye see, the man what does that sleeping follows the one that does the waking. The one what does the waking buys the waker a drink, and the waker listens to the man that wakes propose a proposition. Savvy?"

The man's eyes narrowed for a moment, then he nodded.

"Aye, that'll about do it."

He put out a hand and Jack hauled him to his feet. The man eyed Will and nodded to Jessie.

"Tis been a long time, Swiftblade, since ye were in Tortuga. I thought ye'd gotten marooned by ye crew." He chuckled to himself.

"Hello, Gibbs," Jessie replied.

"Well, Jack, where shall the waker and the sleeper be drinkin' tonight?" Gibbs asked.

Jack pointed to the Sea Woman. "Lead the way, Jess, darling."

Jessie threw open the door to the tavern and strode in. No one took any great notice of her until she stopped at the bar. Then the barkeeper called out in a rough voice. Every man, drunk and sober, turned to see "Swiftblade!" Jessie took the four tankards the winking bartender gave her and pushed her way through the crowd to the back room where Gibbs and Jack waited.

Will stood just outside, leaning against the wall. Jessie thrust a tankard into his chest.

"Here, Will, drink this. It'll take that frown of your face."

Will smelled the dark liquid. "Smells strong enough the kill a horse," he muttered.

"Just don't get completely drunk." Jessie pushed by him and sat in the third chair next to Jack.

"Perfect timin', Jess, as always." Jack took a deep draft of the jug. Gibbs did the same.

"Now, Jack, what be this adventure of yourn?" he said between swallows.

Jack glanced around and lowered his voice. "I'm going after the _Pearl_."

Gibbs choked and spit it back into the mug.

"Jack," he whispered, "ye can't be serious. Tis a fool's errand!"

"Fortunately for me, I know what it is Barbosa wants. All that remains for you to do is find me a crew willing to sail with me and Jess."

Gibbs frowned.

"Let's just say it's a matter of leverage," Jack continued slyly.

Jessie glanced at Will without meaning to and found him peering around the corner. Gibbs' frown deepened. Jack motioned with his head to Will, who was trying to detach a fat, drunk woman from his arm.

"The kid?" Gibbs asked.

"That be Bootstrap's son. His ONLY child."

Gibbs nodded, an understanding look on his face. "Leverage, says you. I think I feel a change in the winds, says I. I'll find ye a crew. There's gotta be a handful of men as daft as you on this crazy rock."

"One can only hope." Jack raised his tankard and smiled his strange, mysterious smile. "Take what ye can."

"Give nothin' back!" Gibbs and Jessie said together. They clanked their mugs, took a deep draft, and slammed them on the table.

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Later that night, Jessie lay in bed and stared at the ceiling. Sleep, which had rarely alluded her before, seemed completely out of her reach. From the other room, she could hear Jack's snores that told her he felt safe. She was thankful Gibbs had left soon after they had finished their beers. His snoring had been compared to hippos from Africa.

Jessie tossed a few more turns before she sat up abruptly and walked to the door, wrapping a thick shirt around herself. In the large common room sprawled Will and Jack, sleeping on stolen cushions and the hard floor. Both men had insisted she take the far superior bed, even after she said she preferred the floor. Carefully, Jessie tiptoed around their still forms and to the door of the room.

There was hardly a sound from down the stairs, save for the occasional wheeze from a man who had drunk himself to sleep. Jessie opened the door to another room and peeked in. The room was empty. Quickly, she crossed the floor, opened the window, and let herself down onto the roof. Then she made her way to the _Interceptor_.

The night was mild, even with the breeze blowing inland. Onboard, Jessie scurried up the mast and into the crow's nest. She gazed over the dark waters and tried to sort through her confused, jumbled thoughts.

"I know what Jack wants," she told herself. "He wants the _Pearl_ all to himself once more. He knows that Barbosa needs Will's blood to break the curse, and he now knows that he needs mine, as well. I know Barbosa has Elizabeth and is now sailing to the Isla de Muerta, presumably because he believes Lizzie is either a Turner or a Delacruz."

She stopped as she realized what Barbosa could do to Elizabeth once he discovered she could no more break a curse than his pet monkey. She gripped the mast in a stranglehold as she envisioned her hands around the pirate's neck.

"We'll reach them first. We have to. But what do I do once Jack hands Will over to Barbosa? Is that what Jack plans to do? What is his game?"

A creak caused her to look down.

"What are you doing, Will?" she called.

"I heard you leave and I thought something was wrong."

Jessie slid down the rigging and landed next to him. "Nothing was wrong," she lied. "Just couldn't sleep."

They walked over to the side of the ship and leaned on the railing. Jessie fiddled with a cord bracelet, feeling slightly awkward. Finally, Will broke the silence.

"Why didn't you tell me you were a pirate?"

"Would you have believed me? There was no need to."

"Everyone in that tavern seemed to know who you were— are."

Jessie stared at him. "What do you want to know, Will?"

"Everything. I want to know who you really are, where you are from, and how you know Jack so well."

"I can't tell you—"

"Why?"

Will's angry word carried over the waters. Jessie felt stunned. He pressed his lips together and studied his hands.

"It's dangerous for you to know, Will," she said quietly. "Every pirate has enemies, and Jack and I have made some very powerful ones. The more people who know about me, the more danger it puts them and me in."

"I can deal with the consequences of knowing the truth when I get there. Don't you trust me to keep a secret?"

A strong gust of wind blew across Jessie's face, carrying a sound that reminded her of Tia's voice. She heard words and felt a sense of urgency she couldn't understand. It took her breath away and forced her to take a step back.

When the wind died down, Jessie found Will watching her with concern.

"Ask me what you want to know, Will," she stammered.

He frowned. "You've changed your mind?"

"Yes. Ask me."

He paused, then sat down and motioned her over. She sat in front of him and held his gaze steadily.

"Who are you?" he asked. "I'm not sure I know anymore."

Jessie took a deep breath and let the words come out in a rush.

"My name is Jessie Delacruz, though almost all pirates call me Swiftblade. I am the only child of Rufio Delacruz and Rosalina Sparrow, Jack's mother. Jack and I are half siblings. I sailed with Jack on his father's ship until he was killed by the Kraken and Jack and I were marooned on an island. Eventually, we got off and found another ship, the _Black Pearl_. Jack captained it and I sailed with him. We were separated, and I landed in Port Royal with the Swans. During my time on Barbados, I sold Robert Swan's plantation to one of his friends and returned to searching for Jack, whose name I had heard many times on Barbados. I have my own ship, the _Sea Serpent_, and my own crew. I am known as one of the most ruthless and crafty pirates on the Caribbean, and all who know me respect me."

"You are Jack's sister?"

She nodded. Will let out a long breath.

"Captain Teague was a strange man with a violent temper. He killed Rosalina when he found out her treachery, and he would've killed me, too, if Jack hadn't stopped him and promised to take care of me himself." She grinned as fond memories crowded her mind. "Jack was the best brother I could've asked for."

Will smiled. "How did you two get separated?"

Jessie hesitated. "There was a mutiny onboard the Pearl. Jack was marooned on a desert island, and I was kept on the ship. I managed to get away on a life boat and was picked up by the Swans."

Will nodded. "Why did you go back?" he asked quietly.

Jessie considered. "It's the only life I could live without being miserable. Everything I love is here, Will, the sea, my ship, Jack..."

Her voice trailed off, and she looked down. "Not many things could keep me away from this."

She felt Will studying her, but she couldn't bring herself to look at him. He rose and slowly walked down the gangplank in the direction of the tavern. Jessie stood, as well, but she went to the captain's quarters and spent the rest of her night staring at the medallion around her neck, her mind racing faster than before.

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"Here we are, Jack, the finest crew that I could find on such short notice." Gibbs smiled wryly. "And each one crazy to boot."

Jessie stepped back and observed the line of ratty people who stood at attention on the dock of Tortuga. She didn't hide her impatience. Already, the sun was high in the sky. Jack and Will strode slowly along the line. Jack looked each one up and down.

"So this," she heard Will mutter, "is your able-bodied crew. They don't look like much."

"Neither do you," Jack retorted dryly. He stopped in front of a tanned man with a large parrot sitting on his shoulder. "You, sailor."

"It's, uh, Cotton, sir." Gibbs said.

"Mr. Cotton. Do you have the courage and fortitude to follow orders and stay true in the face of danger and almost certain death?"

The man stared at him without responding.

"Mr. Cotton. Answer, man."

Still the man remained silent. Gibbs stepped forward.

"He's a mute, sir. Poor devil had his tongue cut out, so he trained the parrot to talk for him. No one's yet figured how."

Cotton opened his mouth to show the remains of his severed tongue. Jack recoiled slightly and turned to the parrot.

"Mr. Cotton's... parrot. Same question."

The parrot squawked and flapped its wings. "Wind in the sails. Wind in the sails."

Jack glanced at Cotton, who shrugged. "Mostly, we figure, that means 'yes.'"

Jack pursed his lips and nodded with satisfaction. "What do you think, Jess?"

Every head turned to see Jessie for the first time. She acknowledged them with a nod of her head.

"I think we should weigh anchor and set sail. And," she pointed to the end of the line, "I think that girl wants a word with you."

Jack's head whipped around. He narrowed his eyes and stalked over to the slim figure whose face was covered by a large hat. Carefully, he lifted it. Long black hair fell into the face of a young woman with coffee colored skin and a defiant expression. Jack smiled winningly.

"Anamaria," he said charmingly.

The girl promptly slapped him across the face. Will raised his eyebrows, but Jessie laughed loudly.

"Well, Anamaria," she called, "I guess you know Jack already. What has he done to you?"

Anamaria jabbed at Jack's nose with her finger angrily. "You stole my boat!

Jack flinched as the finger came unnervingly close. "Borrowed! Borrowed without permission. But with every intention of bringing it back."

"But you DIDN"T!" Anamaria stepped closer, her prodding finger almost touching him. Jessie, trying to hide her amusement, interjected.

"Fear not, Anamaria, Jack's wrong will be made right."

The girl glared at Jessie. "How?" she demanded.

"You'll get another boat. A bigger one."

Jack frowned and shook his head unperceptively to all except Jessie, but she ignored him.

"What boat?" Anamaria asked, her tone less harsh.

Jessie indicated over her shoulder with her thumb to where the _Interceptor_ was docked. "That one."

"That one?"

Everyone stared at Jack, who immediately repeated, "Aye, that one. What say you?"

A chorus of "Aye!" rang out, and each sailor started walking towards the _Interceptor_. Gibbs protested.

"Tis frightful bad luck to have a woman on board, sir," he told Jack.

"Jessie is going with us," Will reminded him.

"Aye, but Swiftblade…" Gibbs muttered words into his beard no one could understand. Jessie snorted.

"But Swiftblade is no woman," she finished. "Come on, Jack, I want to leave before the tide runs out."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

For several days, the _Interceptor_ and her crew were favored with good winds and sunny skies. Jack manned the wheel, only letting Jessie take it so he could catch up on a few hours' sleep and grab a quick bite to eat before he pushed her off again. Jessie spent most of her time in the crow's nest, watching the horizon intently for any sign of the Isla de Muerta or the sails of an enemy ship.

Everything would've been perfect had she not had a nagging feeling that Will was avoiding her. Their paths could not help but cross, yet she felt he was distancing himself from her. It made her heart ache, though she refused to think about why. Instead, she stayed in the crow's nest or by Jack and pretended to by impervious to emotion.

Four days after they set off from Tortuga, the wind ran out and the _Interceptor_ stopped moving. There were no oars below deck to propel the ship onward, and not enough men to do so anyway.

The men became restless. Jessie understood the feeling. She hated being becalmed as much as they did, and her impatience was heightened with the knowledge that Barbosa and his crew might have reached the island already.

"Ahoy there, lads!"

Gibbs stood in the middle of the deck, one arm raised over his head. The rest of the crew gathered around him.

"Since the wind ain't pickin' up any time soon, I say we amuse ourselves with a competition," Gibbs proposed. The men's' faces brightened considerably, and they voiced their consent.

"What kind of competition?" one yelled out.

"A fencin' competition, to see which among us is the best swordsman."

Jessie chuckled to herself. From her place in the rigging, she saw a few sailors run below deck to get their weapons. Gibbs marked off the ring for the fencers by pointing. The men crowded around the outside of the ring, forming a human barrier.

"Someone get the captain!" a voice suggested. Gibbs knocked on the door of the captain's quarters, where Jack had stayed when he saw they were unable to move. Jessie suspected he had been pacing in the little room, waiting for the winds to return.

"Captain!" Gibbs said loudly. Jack threw open the door.

"Aye, I heard you lot," he grumbled. "Made enough noise for the Kraken to hear ye. Mr. Gibbs, as the worst swordfighter in the whole Caribbean, ye'll be the first contestant. And Mr. Turner, as the newest to this whole piratin' business, shall challenge ye. Whoever wins moves on to the next round. If any of you disarms every man an' woman here, he'll have to honor of dueling me." Jack smiled thinly.

Jessie dropped out of the rigging onto the deck. "And," she continued, "if that person is lucky enough to defeat Captain Jack will then try me."

A murmur ran through the crew. Only Will seemed unimpressed, and Jessie fancied she caught a hint of concern in his face.

"Are you satisfied?" she asked gruffly.

"Aye!" shouted the crew, raising their swords above their heads.

"Then Gibbs, William, step forward."

Jack gave the signal, and the two men began. Jessie stood by Jack and watched Will carefully. On Port Royal, she had spent numerous stolen moments with him, showing Will tricks she had learned and keeping herself in fighting condition. But she hadn't seen him use a blade for quite some time, and she wondered what he had taught himself.

The duel was a short one. Gibbs was a hearty fighter, but Will was younger and faster and soon sent Gibbs' sword clattering across the deck. The crowd cheered. Will grinned and handed Gibbs his sword.

"Alright, who's next?" Jack asked.

One by one, each crew member stepped forward, and one by one, Will disarmed them all. Jessie felt a surge of pride as her friend proved to be a very capable swordsman. Jack leaned over.

"Young Mister Turner here has more skill than I credited him for," he whispered. "How much of that did you teach him?"

"Only a few things here and there," she replied. "He taught himself the rest."

Will flicked his wrist and flipped his opponent's sword into the air. It landed in his hand.

"Well done, William!" Jack praised. "Take a breather. You'll need it."

Will shook his head. "I'm quite alright."

Jack shrugged. "Very well."

In a flash he had drawn his sword and brought it down over his head. Will parried and retaliated with a thrust of his own. Jack twirled around, his coattails flying. For a long time, the two men circled the perimeter of the ring, testing each other's skill and looking for a weakness. Jessie held her breath.

At last, Jack cut Will across his hand, forcing him to drop his sword. Jack stepped on it.

"Second time I've beat you, William," he said smugly. Will held his hand close to his face.

"You cheated last time," he said with a touch of irony.

Jack shrugged. "I'm a pirate."

Jessie gently took Will's hand and examined it. "All that means is he'll do whatever it takes to win," she said into his ear. "Tis naught more than a slight cut on your hand, Will. Here…"

She drew a knife and slit one of her sleeves, tearing off a thin piece long enough to wrap around Will's hand several times. She knotted it securely.

"So I guess I am your challenger, Jack," Jessie said, crossing her arms. "Unless you'd rather forfeit now and save yourself the trouble of being humiliated by losing to Jessie Swiftblade."

Jack smirked. "I believe ye'd be dreamin' when that happens, love."

Jessie stepped forward, but Jack held up a hand.

"I knows ye carries a fine amount of knives, darlin'. Ye aren't allowed to use them here, only yer sword.

Jessie raised an eyebrow. "Fine. But I'll still win."

Gibbs gave the signal, and the two pirates circled each other. Jessie watched Jack carefully. They had spent a great deal of their time on Jack's father's ship sparring each other, but ten years had since passed. Jessie knew Jack had likely learned new tricks he would have no qualms about using.

She was right. Jack stepped in to lunge, but at the last instant twirled around and swung at her back. Jessie parried over she shoulder and whipped herself around, returning with several quick blows aimed at his head, middle, and sides. Jack blocked her sword, and for some time they edged their way around the deck, neither able to touch the other and both refusing to let up. The crowd parted and let them through as they made their way up the steps and on to the upper deck.

Jessie lunged at Jack. He dodged nimbly out of the way. Jessie's momentum carried her forward and buried her sword into the wheel. She rattled it, but it didn't move. Jack stabbed at her back and fell forward as he went through empty space. Jessie had propelled herself over the wheel and flipped in the air, landing on the lower deck. She grunted as pain shot up her legs.

"You have no sword!" Jack protested as he came down the steps..

Jessie turned and threw one of her hidden knives at his middle. The knife buried itself in the ship's side. Jack rose from his ducking position, eyes wide, and barely managed to swipe away another one of her knives. Before he could recover, she had rushed over to him and slammed his body against the side of the ship, a deadly-looking dagger at his throat. Jack grimaced as he caught sight of the green and gold hilt.

"So, darling, ye'd use a poisoned knife against yer own brother?"

"Shut up, Jack!" she hissed. "I told you I'd beat you. First time in my life, but I did it." She couldn't help chuckling a little. Jack jerked.

"Don't move!" she cried, alarmed. "One cut from this blade and the entire Caribbean will be telling of how Captain Jack Sparrow died at the hands of Jessie Swiftblade."

"Then let me up, Jess."

Jessie stepped back and gave Jack her hand, which he took to straighten up. His eyes flickered between her and his crew, who stood in silence.

"I call for a rematch," he stated. "This time, I want Mister Turner to aid me."

Will shook his head. "That's not fair—"

The crew laughed. "Fair?" Gibbs guffawed. "Boy, there ain't no such thing as a fair fight here on the Caribbean."

"Come on, Will," Jessie prodded. "Even with you and Jack both comin at me you won't hurt me."

Jack walked to Will and whispered something to him. Jessie waited impatiently.

"Well?" she asked.

Will sprang forward, sword flashing. Jessie blocked it over her head and held his sword hand, bringing their arms down to her face. Then, she shoved him away and kicked at Jack, who had crept behind her. Her foot met with his knuckles. She swiped at his arm and used a dagger to deflect Will's blow on her other side. With a quick movement, she dropped to the deck and flipped Will over her back. He landed with a thump. Then Jessie came at Jack. Their swords met in a furry of clashes. Jessie felt Will behind her, and, in one motion, flung a heavier knife in his direction and disarmed Jack with a slight flick of her wrist. She glanced behind and saw Will's weapon on the deck. He was holding his arm tightly, blood seeping through his fingers. Jessie had to grip the hilt of her sword as she realized it was about to fall from her hands.

"Well done, Jess!" Jack said, running a hand through her hair. "Ye've lived up to the name of Swiftblade very nicely. Wouldn't you say, lads?"

The crew murmured its agreement as they stared at her with mixed respect, awe, and fear. Jessie had heard it whispered amongst them and other pirates that she had unnatural powers and wasn't really human.

"Those knives she 'as," one said, "They's no ordinary knives. They was a gift from the sea goddess. Swiftblade can bring 'em outta thin air, she can."

"She can move faster than you can blink," another insisted. "I once saw 'er steal a man's coat while 'e were puttin' it on!"

Jessie ignored the looks from the crew and went back to Will, attempting to keep anyone from seeing how horrified she was.

"How bad is it?" she asked quietly.

He removed his hand, revealing a deep cut across his skin.

"I'd better patch you up, William," she said louder. "Can't have you dying a mere flesh wound, can we?"

She led him to the captain's quarters, hardly hearing Jack call out orders to the crew to prepare for the storm he saw brewing on the horizon. They scurried into action, relieved to have something to do besides stand.

Once she had shut the door behind them, Jessie hurried to a row of cabinets and opened each one until she found the tools for the ship's doctor. Will sat at the table, still holding his arm and propping it on the table.

"I'm so sorry, Will," she mumbled as she helped him take off the ripped shirt. "I didn't mean to…"

She couldn't finish her thought and fell silent. Will tried to smile.

"It's alright, Jessie," he said through clenched teeth. "It wasn't a fair fight anyway."

Jessie set aside his shirt and filled a small bowl with water from a barrel in a corner. Then she dabbed at the cut with a piece of cloth.

"Where did you learn to fight like that?" Will asked, watching her hands.

"On Jack's father's ship, the _Queen Anne_, there was a sailor with us for a while. He was the strangest looking man I'd ever seen, and he never used a cutlass or a firing arm. Only knives. He could pin a fly to the mast without looking, and he could flip over an entire crowd of enemies."

Jessie sat on the table and threaded a needle. Then she placed his arm in her lap.

"I had learned from Jack how to use a cutlass, but I was amazed at this man's skill and wanted to know how he did it. So I cornered him one day and demanded that he teach me. He asked me what I would give him in return, and I told him that I would let him live by not poisoning his food when he wasn't paying attention. It was a bluff, of course, but he believed it and taught me how to use his knives. I learned very quickly, and soon I was beating him in sparring matches."

"Is that why they call you Swiftblade?"

She nodded. "Your father gave me that name."

Will said nothing for a moment, then, "How well did you know my father?"

Jessie glanced at him briefly. "He was the father I never had. I met him when I was eight, and for some reason he liked me enough to watch out for me when Jack wasn't around, and he taught me everything he knew about medicines and doctoring people. He talked about you all the time, Will, always speculating about what you were doing at that particular moment and how you would look."

She drew a small vial from a pocket in her shirt and poured a little of its contents on his arm. The greenish liquid gave off a pleasant scent. Jessie rubbed it gently over the stiches.

"He used to tell me," she continued, "that he hoped you would look like your mother. When he left, he said you had your mother's smile."

She wrapped a strip of clean cloth around his arm and tied it. Then she took his injured hand and put a little of the mysterious liquid on the cut before retying the bandage. Then she stood and picked up his shirt.

"I guess you still have your mother's smile. But you did end up looking just like him. You two have the same sense of humor, too, and the same laugh." She looked up from her sewing. "He would've been very proud of you, Will."

Will touched the cloth on his arm and hand. "You learned all of this from him?"

She nodded. "The stuff I put on your arm and hand will make your skin heal faster. You should be able to take out the stiches tomorrow. Here's your shirt."

Jessie handed it to him and turned to put away the doctor's kit.

"Jessie."

Will stood close to her, an expression she hadn't seen before on his face.

"Thank you."

She nodded. "I didn't think Jack told you any of that."

Jack burst into the room and raised his eyebrows. "Jess, if I'm not interrupting anything, you are needed on deck."

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The storm hit two hours later. First, the wind picked up, stirring the waves into a frenzy. They rose high above the ship and crashed onto the deck, drenching the crew to their bones. Then, the rain fell. Large, heavy balls of water that dropped unrelentingly from the black clouds, making the deck slippery. All night, the pirates scrambled as best they could to keep the _Interceptor_ above the water while Jack fought to keep the ship on course. The few times Jessie glanced in his direction, he was grinning maniacally. She knew why. Though the storm raged throughout the night, the strong winds pushed them faster than before, making up for lost time.

The morning dawned with the sun barely pushing through the clouds. The crew made repairs to the sails and put the deck back in order.

Jessie climbed the steps and leaned on Jack's arm. A thought had been bothering her for some time now, though she had given no indication to anyone. She thought she could figure it out herself, but as the Isla de Muerta loomed closer, she realized she was no nearer to finding the answer than before.

"Jack," she said quietly. Jack continued to stare straight ahead. "Jack, what are you doing?"

"What are do you mean, love?"

"Barbosa needs mine and Will's blood to break the curse. How do you plan on regaining the _Pearl_ and keeping Barbosa from killing us?"

Jack motioned to Anamaria, who took hold of the tiller, then walked down the deck to the captain's quarters. Jessie followed, still speaking softly.

"I know you, Jack. I know you have a plan for everything, even when you act like you're improvising. And you can't just think that I'm going to sit back and watch you hand Will over to that man without doing something about it. He's not only a matter of leverage, he's my friend!"

Jack pulled her inside the room and shut the door. Then he turned to face her, regarding her with suspicion.

"You're not the same girl you used to be. You used to follow me around and do whatever I said without question."

"You're not the same Jack I used to know. We've both changed, and I'm not sure I trust you anymore."

He sneered. "Wise of you, darling. But you're going to have to believe me when I say I know what I'm doing."

Jessie chewed on her lip. "What are you going to do on Isla de Muerta?"

"Will and I are going to go ashore and see how things look."

"What about me?"

"Darling, you are much too valuable to me at the moment. You will stay here and wait for our return."

He started to brush her hair fondly out of her face, but Jessie smacked his hand away.

"So I'm also your leverage," she said angrily. Jack opened his mouth.

"Don't speak!" She took a step towards the door. "Do what you want, Jack, but don't expect me to follow you blindly. And bring Will back. Alive."

As she opened the door, he held her arm. "Don't do anything… stupid," he said urgently.

Jessie shook him off. Jack came out behind her and walked to where Will and Gibbs held a whispered conversation. Jessie leaned against the side of the ship and stared ahead at the dark island, fiddling with the chain around her neck.

"Lower the boat! Mister Turner and I be goin' ashore."

She watched the small boat hit the water and her brother climb down.

"And what if the worst should happen?" Gibbs asked Jack.

"Keep to the code."

Gibbs exhaled. "Ah, yes, the code."

Jessie suddenly stepped forward.

"Will."

He paused, both feet on the ladder. She leaned in close.

"Watch your back."

He frowned, not understanding. Jack cleared his throat, and Will's mouth twitched into a small smile.

"Don't worry, Jessie. I'll be back."

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For what seemed like forever, Jessie and the crew waited. While the rest of the men lounged, Jessie returned to the captain's quarters and paced the room for a few minutes, then sat in the desk chair and ran her fingers across her chin. She stayed still until the gentle rocking of the ship lulled her into a troubled doze, and her head fell forward on her arm.

"Swiftblade!"

Jessie jerked awake. Gibbs was pounding on the door.

"Swiftblade, the boat be returnin'"

She threw open the door. "Who's in it?"

"Young Turner and Miss Elizabeth."

Jessie watched the men haul Will, Elizabeth, and the little boat up. Elizabeth wore a wet underdress and her hair stuck to her face.

"Not more pirates," she groaned at the sight of the crew.

"Welcome aboard, Miss Elizabeth."

She peered at the speaker. "Mr. Gibbs?"

He nodded, then looked at Will. "'Ey, boy, where be Jack?"

Will had stood with his lips pressed into a tight line. Now he led Elizabeth away and glanced at Gibbs and Jessie.

"He fell behind," he mumbled.

Jessie nearly stopped moving. She pushed through her shock and forced herself to appear merely resigned. Gibbs and the rest of the crew, however, remained motionless.

"You have your orders," Jessie said loudly. "Jack survived on a deserted island; I'm sure he'll have no difficulties on his own ship."

She looked around. No one had moved. Annoyed, she turned to Anamaria.

"Get this ship moving! I don't want to be anywhere near here when Barbosa discovers his bird has flown and he's left with the rooster."

"Whey anchor!" the dark girl yelled. "Hoist the sails!"

Jessie was relieved to see the other woman's hard voice galvanized the men into action. She came up to Anamaria and leaned close.

"There is an island not far from here," she whispered. "Do you know where it is?"

"Of course I do, Swiftblade."

"Good. I want you to make for it. Barbosa will come after us, but we may be able to lose him in shallow waters. Do you understand?"

Anamaria nodded and spun the wheel. "I'll get us there," she promised.

Jessie gave her a small smile, then made her way below decks where Will had taken Elizabeth.

She found them sitting around a small table where the men played cards. Will had tied a dirty cloth around Elizabeth's hand where Barbosa's knife had cut her. Now, however, he was holding her necklace in his hand, fingering the piece of Aztec gold. Elizabeth jumped when she saw Jessie.

"I'm sorry, Will," she mumbled, then she pushed past Jessie and went returned to the top deck.

Jessie sat down. Will stared at her with a terrible expression on his face.

"Elizabeth told me about the curse," he said quietly. "She said she's had this coin since the day you found me."

"She thought you were a pirate and didn't want Norrington to have you hung," Jessie said carefully. "She thought it was a pirate medallion; she didn't realize what it was."

Will shook his head. "So it wasn't her blood Barbosa needed. It was my father's blood. My blood. The blood of a pirate." He balled the medallion into his fist.

"Will, there's something…"

Jessie's words were cut off by Will slamming his hand on the table. She choked back her words, rose, and backed away.

"Jess," Will murmured.

She paused on the steps. "I'll let you be." Then she hurried to the top deck.

Jessie found herself in the middle of a flurry of activity. All the men ran in all directions, following Anamaria's shouted instructions.

"What's going on?" Jessie called to Anamaria.

"It's the _Pearl_!" she yelled hoarsely. "She's gainin' on us."

Jessie looked at the horizon. The black sails and dirty hull of Jack's favorite ship loomed against a wall of fog.

Elizabeth clung to Jessie's arm. "This is the fastest ship on the Caribbean!" she protested. "Surely those pirates won't be able to catch up."

"You can tell them that once they've caught us." Anamaria glared at the distraught girl.

Jessie thought quickly. "Anamaria, how close are we to the shoals?"

"We should see them soon, Swiftblade, but I doubt—"

"Hang your doubts! Tell the men to toss everything unnecessary overboard."

Anamaria stared incredulously at Jessie, but she did as she said. The men paused for a brief second until they saw Jessie already tossing whatever she could hold into the Caribbean ocean. Soon the decks were looking bare and empty, while a long line of objects floated behind the _Interceptor_. Ahead, the waves began to break over the sand dunes of an island in sight.

Jessie glanced once more at the _Pearl_. She smiled thinly as she saw it had come much closer.

"It was a good plan," Anamaria consoled. "Until now."

Elizabeth gripped Jessie's arm tightly. Jessie momentarily broke her intense thinking and patted her hand.

"Fear not, little mouse, I have more up my sleeve than that.

"Anamaria!" she said louder. "Drop anchor to starboard."  
This time, Anamaria didn't move. "Are ye daft, Swiftblade?"

"Do ye have a better notion?" she demanded angrily.

Anamaria glared at her.

"If ye don't tell them to, I'll do it myself." Jessie jumped down and ran to the wheel controlling the anchor.

"Drop starboard anchor!" she heard Anamaria call. Jessie found herself joined by Gibbs and the rest of the crew. The ship began to slow and lean to the right as Anamaria struggled to keep it straight.

"Let go!" Jessie shouted. Immediately, Anamaria jumped away, and the wheel spun in the opposite direction. The ship lurched and turned sharply, sending everyone to the deck.

Jessie was on her feet in an instant. "Load the cannons!" she commanded, forgetting she was not captain.

"With what?" Anamaria asked.

"Anything and everything we have left."

Jessie felt a slight surge of pride as no one protested against her taking charge. She went and stood at the side of the _Interceptor_, watching the _Pearl_ as it drew alongside. Will came next to her, Elizabeth clinging to his arm.

"Prepare to fire," she told Gibbs, who relayed the order down the steps to the men by the cannons.

Jessie saw the familiar figure of Barbosa with his monkey on his shoulder. The pirate's ridiculous hat sat lopsided on his head. Jessie waited until she could hear the men on both ships jeering at each other, then she turned.

"Fire!"

A tremor ran through the ship's deck as the cannons blasted. The guns of the _Pearl_ fired as well, rocking the _Interceptor_ as the shots hit the hull. Elizabeth whimpered as Will ducked her down behind the barrier of the ship's side. He fired several shots with his pistol. Jessie did the same, and for several minutes the two ships blasted away at each other with their cannons and guns.

Anamaria suddenly dropped next to Jessie as she was reloading her firearm.

"Got any more bright ideas?" she asked sardonically.

Jessie bit back her reply.

Anamaria grabbed Elizabeth's wrist and pointed her pistol in her face. "I say we give 'em her!"

Will gently took Anamaria's hand off Elizabeth. "She's not what they're after."

Elizabeth instinctively reached for her throat and looked horrified when she realized she no longer had the medallion. Will started to rise, but Jessie moved quicker. She disappeared below deck where she had left Will with the Aztec gold.

"Jessie!" Will caught hold of her sleeve.

"Stay with Elizabeth! I'll be back."

She brushed him off without waiting for his response and shut the hatch so he couldn't follow.

Jessie rushed over to the table where Will had been sitting. There was the medallion, lying on a stool where it had fallen from the ship's rocking. Jessie reached for it.

Without warning, there was splintering crack. Jessie looked up the instant the main mast fell, crushing the deck under its weight. Jessie was thrown to the floor and lay there unconscious while the hull of the ship filled with water.

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Slowly, Jessie regained consciousness. She shook her head, trying to lose the grogginess. She rose, only to be met with a spray of saltwater in her eyes. She cried out and covered her face, groaning as her eyes burned. The water had filled this deck to her hips by this time, and she struggled to make it to the hatch.

The mast lay across the opening. One look told her she would never move it. Quickly, she swam to the other hatch, only to find it blocked as well.

Jessie heard a chattering noise and whirled around. There, on the beam above her, scampered Barbosa's monkey, Jack. In his little hands was the necklace she had come to retrieve. Jessie pulled herself up and grabbed at the little creature, who sat just beyond her reach. It smiled at her before darting through a tiny opening.

A thought struck her. She stood still and listened. Above the sound of the sea pouring into the _Interceptor_, she no longer heard the sounds of fighting above her, nor did she hear any voices.

She dove beneath the rising water, now to her chest, looking for the escape hole in the bottom of the ship. She knew from past experiences that Barbosa would blow up the _Interceptor_ with its own powder, dragging her down to the bottom of the sea.

Jessie found the little door and pulled it open. Then she slipped through and kicked hard, propelling herself forward.

The explosion jolted and temporarily dazed her. She kicked harder until her head broke the surface. Jessie spluttered and coughed as she floated.

A shadow fell across the water. The _Pearl_ loomed over Jessie, threatening to send her beneath the waves. With a quick kick she sent herself in the direction of the side of the ship. Then she reached for one of her weapons. Up she climbed, using the rope inside her special knife, till her fingers grasped the wood of the ship and she could peek over the side.

Around the mast, Barbosa had tied the crew, with Jack and Will standing a little farther away surrounded by his men. Elizabeth was standing near the side of the ship, a horrified look on her face as the burning wreckage of the _Interceptor_ sank beneath the waters. Then the girl ran at Barbosa, shouting something Jessie couldn't understand. Strong hands caught her, and Barbosa sneered in her face. Elizabeth screamed as he sent her flying back into the waiting hands of the crew.

Anger flared inside Jessie, and she leapt up onto a rope ladder.

"Barbosa! Let her go!" she commanded.

Every head turned in her direction. Barbosa peered at her, slightly blinded by the bright sun.

"Who are you?" he asked in his thin voice.

Jack stepped forward and came in front of Barbosa.

"No one! She's no one," he insisted. "Just some girl from Tortuga I picked up. Insisted on coming with us."

"Shut up, Jack!"

He looked at Jessie with such surprise that she felt a slight twinge of guilt.

"We have met before, Barbosa," she continued, "but it was nearly ten years ago. I wouldn't expect your aging mind to remember someone so insignificant as me."

Barbosa's eyes narrowed, and he strode closer to her. Jack blocked his way.

"Complete drunkard, Barbosa, I assure you. Emptied out all the rum we had on that ship."

Barbosa shoved him away. "Tell me, lass, what be yer name?"

"My name is Jessie Swiftblade."

Jessie pulled her medallion out from under she drenched shirt. The gold glinted, reflecting on Barbosa's face.

"I have a proposal for you, Barbosa. But I'd like to speak with you in private." She glanced in Jack's direction. Barbosa took the hint.

"Lads, take these prisoners to the brig!" he called.

Jessie waited until Jack had disappeared from sight before she stepped off the ladder. Barbosa smiled and gestured to the state room.

Suddenly, one of his men grabbed a fistful of her hair and reached for the gold around her neck. Jessie twisted out of his grasp, jumped to the side of the ship, and pressed the man's pistol against her temple.

"I have information for you that would benefit you greatly," she told Barbosa calmly. "But one more stunt like that and I'll blow my head to smithereens, and you'll be stuck forever as the living dead." She smiled bitterly. "As much as I'd love to see that happen, I think we would both prefer it if you returned to your former state."

Barbosa chuckled. "Leave this one be, lads. She's a dangerous snake."

Jessie's lips curved into a wicked grin. She stepped down once more and followed Barbosa to the state room, keeping the stolen gun in her hand.

The pirate shut the door. Jessie leaned her forearms against one of the high-backed chairs, still holding the coin in between her fingers.

"Alright, Miss Swiftblade," Barbosa purred, coming close to her face. She resisted the urge to pull away. "Tell me your proposal."

"I told you we've met before, Barbosa, but you knew me by another name at the time. Two names, actually. However, it's the second one you would be interested in. My real name is Delacruz. My father, Rufio Delacruz, was one of your crew members until his… untimely demise by sharks."

"And how do I know this ain't all just a farce, eh?" Barbosa asked quietly.

"You don't."

Barbosa pursed his lips. "Jack mentioned a second coin and a second person who's blood I needed."

"And I know you only have 880 pieces accounted for. With Mister Turner and I here, you now have all the gold to break the curse."

"So what's yer proposal?"

"I am the last person standing between you and your return to life. I am willing to go to the Isla de Muerta with you and let you do whatever you want with me."

"And what are the conditions?"

"There are only two, Barbosa. I know you hate bargaining when you feel you get the raw end of the deal. The first is that Jack, Elizabeth, and the crew goes free. The second is that you do not kill Will Turner."

Barbosa nodded thoughtfully. "So, ye expect me to let Jack, his crew, and the pretty Miss Elizabeth go free, not kill Mister Turner, AND believe that you are the person whose blood I need to break the curse, all because ye be willin to surrender yeself to me and my men?"

Jessie laughed. "When you put it that way, Barbosa, tis obvious you forget who I am. I am Jessie Swiftblade. No man has ever tamed me, and I belong to no one. If you took my offer, you would have the great pride of knowing that you were the first and only man to have any hold on me, not to mention you'll have the makings of your very own fleet."

Barbosa raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, yes, Barbosa, I have a ship. No nearly as grand as the _Pearl_, of course, but the _Sea Serpent_ is quite magnificent in its own way." She walked over to the window. "Commodore Barbosa!" she said grandly, sweeping her arm. "That's what they would call you."

"And what," he asked, studying her suspiciously, "what's in it for you?"

It was Jessie's turn to look surprised. Barbosa smirked.

"Yer a pirate, Swiftblade, though a fair one. Ye never do anythin' risky unless ye get somethin' outta it. What's in it for you?"

She shrugged. "The people I want to live stay alive, and the ones I want to kill are well enough to die. But that doesn't concern you, Barbosa, and I need an answer from you before I lose my patience." She waved the pistol under his nose.

There was silence as Barbosa thought carefully. His gaze had flickered eagerly when Jessie called him 'Commodore', though he was now wise enough to mask his emotions while he watched her face.

"I can do whatever I want wit' ye?"

"Make me cabin boy, kill me over the chest of gold, or keep me for your own. Whatever you like."

"Yer crew will swear loyalty to me?"

"If they don't, I'll kill them myself."

"Then I accept yer offer. However, I cannot let Jack's crew free. Too many good men in that group to lose, ye understand."

"Then do not harm them."

"That can I do."

This time when he reached for her, Jessie did not move back. He took her pistol and opened the door to the room, beckoning to Pintel and Ragetti, two of the more ridiculous of his crew.

"Take Miss Swiftblade down with the others!" he ordered. "And make sure ye take alla her knives off her. In fact, take them off now."

Jessie unbuckled the belts around her waist and shoulder and put them in his waiting hands. Then she removed the rest of her arsenal from their various hiding spots. By the time she was through, Barbosa held a considerable amount, including her favorite green-and-gold knives. Then she let Pintel shackle her hands cruelly behind her back and lead her down to the brig.

Jack, Elizabeth, and Will had been placed in their own cell apart from the rest of the crew. All three sprang up from their spots on the floor as Jessie was shoved into the cage.

"Jessie! Oh, Jessie, you're alright!" Elizabeth exclaimed, trying to brush the hair from her adopted sister's face. "I was so upset when they blew up the _Interceptor_, and you weren't anywhere onboard this wretched thing and you're alright! What did you say to Barbosa?"

Will straightened Jessie up as best he could between Elizabeth's fawning all over her, not saying a word. Jessie smiled gratefully at him.

"You have a medallion?" he asked.

"I was going to tell you, but at the time you were a bit preoccupied."

Jack stayed back until Elizabeth had run out of air to speak, then he pushed the girl aside.

"Glad to see you in one piece," he remarked. He forced Jessie to hold his gaze. "Tell me, Jess darlin', what are ye doin'?"

She jerked her head out of his hand.

"I told you, Jack," she said with slight contempt, "I'm not going to obey you blindly. You'll figure out how to work around me."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

Jessie remained silent for the rest of the voyage. She refused to speak or cry out when they dragged her up on deck to watch Jack and Elizabeth walk the plank, even after she recognized the island as the same one Jack had "been made king off afore," Barbosa mocked. Jack tried to make her speak when Elizabeth stood at the end of the plank, facing the long swim to the deserted island in front and the jeering crowd of men behind, but she stared straight ahead and ignored him.

"Ye have Miss Swiftblade to thank fer yer return home, Jack," said Barbosa. "She be's the one who begged me to let ye go."

Jack glared at her.

"I bargained for your freedom, Jack," she whispered. "I never said where."

"And why the devil not?"

"Because I don't really care where you end up, Jack. You're in the way. Besides, this island isn't so bad. You got off before; I'm sure you'll figure out a way to escape again."

Jack didn't look at her before he went over the edge, but Jessie felt his anger. She had known he would be angry with her, and she wasn't sure she minded. Still, it hurt her greatly to watch him swim back to that strip of beach for the second time, and she began to have second thoughts.

"I didn't do this to hurt you, Jack," she said to herself as she squinted at the sea, watching the two lone figures on the sand. "I did this to give you time to figure out what to do with Barbosa. I do care about you, and I hope you make it back to me safely."

She was thrown back into her cell with Will. He stayed in the corner by the door, then started pacing like he always did when he was thinking. Jessie curled up as best she could and tried to escape her miserable thoughts by sleeping.

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A splash of cold water jolted her from sleep the next morning. Pintel and Ragetti chortled as she sat up abruptly, spluttering and gasping.

"Ye've got a bit o' sumfin on ya face," Ragetti giggled. His wooden eye rolled in his head. "'Ere, let me get that wiv the mop."

They roared once more as Jessie tried unsuccessfully to dodge the spray from the mop they shoved at the bars. Will reached for her arm.

"Aw, lookie that! Swiftblade's got a little friend." Pintel pursed his lips and made kissing sounds while Ragetti nearly fell over the mop handle from laughing so hard. Jessie rolled farther to the corner farthest away from the pair.

"Don't, Will," she mouthed when she saw the look on his face. Will's jaw clenched and unclenched.

"I can see Barbosa hasn't changed his opinion about you two," she spat. "You're still made to do the dirty work and taunt prisoners, eh? Shall I tell everyone here why?"

Ragetti pointed a warning finger at her.

"Yew say anythin' missy, and I'll come in there and rip you apart meself," he threatened. The corners of Jessie's mouth began to turn upwards.

"It's because you're both too stupid to do anything else. You can't do anything without ruining it, can you?"

Ragetti jumped at the bars, shouting colorful threats. Pintel dragged him back.

"Come off it, you idiot! Can't ye see she's doin' that on purpose? Say nufin' to her and she won't talk to us. Now pick up ye mop and let's get this finished."

Ragetti sullenly took the fallen mop in his hands again, but he stuck his tongue out at Jessie when Pintel wasn't looking.

Will kneeled down next to the smug Jessie and wiped the dirty water off her face.

"I take it the three of you know each other," he remarked.

"Aye, we've had the pleasure of sailing together before." Jessie spat out a piece of hair the water had put in her mouth. "They were part of Jack's crew just before the mutiny. In fact," she raised her voice, "Wasn't it because the two of you fools Bill found out Barbosa was going to maroon him and told Jack?"

Pintel glowered at her. Will stood and leaned against the bars.

"You knew my father?"

"Ol' Bootstrap Bill?" Pintel replied sourly. "Aye, we knew 'im. And little missy there is right. Bootstrap had taken a shine to her and Jack, it seems, and it never quite sat well with him what we did to Jack. That's why he sent a piece of the gold to you, as it were. He said we deserved to be cursed… and remain cursed. Course that didn't sit too well wit' the captain."

"What did you cowards do to him?" Jessie exclaimed, sitting upright at the pleased look on their faces.

"Barbosa had us tie a cannon to Bootstraps boot straps," Pintel told her. Ragetti giggled again and repeated the phrase "Bootstrap's boot straps" to himself several times. "The last we saw o' him, he was sinkin' down to Davy Jones' locker."

Jessie said nothing. Shock ran through her and rendered her motionless. Will placed his forehead on the bars and shut his eyes.

"But," she protested once her mouth unfroze, "he was cursed like you! Surely he didn't die."

"Then he's still down there somewhere's mayhap, or perhaps the sharks took a liking to 'im like they did Rufio."

Jessie sat back, wishing her hands were free and she had a knife in one of them. Pintel shrugged.

"Course, it was only after we'd thrown 'im overboard we realized we needed his blood to break the curse."

"Now that's what you call ironic", Ragetti observed. The pair of miscreants chortled and guffawed.

Several of the crew appeared, led by a thick man with dark skin. Jessie had never learned his name, and she wasn't sure anyone else knew what it really was. Tattoos covered his muscled shoulders and on his cheeks.

"We're here." He tossed a ring of keys at Pintel, who barely caught them. "Bring Swiftblade and Turner."

Pintel hauled Jessie to her feet and trailed Ragetti and Will. Jessie retreated into herself as they loaded her into the longboat and rowed for the Isla de Muerta.

_Tia sits across the table from her, smiling strangely._

_ "Ye really want ti know about dat legend? Isla de Muerta and the Aztec gold?"_

_ Jessie nods. "Tell me the story, Tia. I want to know if it's true."_

_ "True? A' course it's true!"_

_ Tia waves her hand in front of her face. The air shimmers and turns into a clear ball. Random pictures float in and out of sight—a creature with tentacles flings a girl and young man onto a beach; a pirate stoops and drinks from a clear fountain; Davy Jones interrogates a living man on a ship full of the dead. _

_Tia chants something under her breath, and the pictures disappear._

"_The pirate captain Cortez was greedy," she began, "and he thirsted for nuting save for gold. Chests of gold, rooms of gold he had aplenty, but he still wanted more."_

_Pictures of loot from a thousand ships fill the ball. Cortez, with his fiery red hair tied in a ponytail, stands atop his ship with his glass to his eye, searching for another land he hasn't yet plundered._

"_Cortez eventually found anoder land, an island untouched by anyone. Dere were inhabitants dere who were rumored to have a great treasure hidden on deir island. Cortez slaughtered dem in his attempt to find and keep de gold for himself."_

_Cortez roars a silent word, and his men run onto the island in swarms. The inhabitants, whose black hair is shaved except for a single thick rope, wear nothing more than animal skins and hold crude weapons. They fall under the fire of the pirates' guns. Soon the beach is covered in their bodies._

"_To stop de bloodshed, the leaders of that people paid Cortez to let them live. Everything dey had dey gave to him, except for a single chest of gold. But de greed of Cortez was insatiable. He slew de leaders and broke into der sanctuary to claim de gold. So the heathen gods put a curse on de blood money. Whoever took de gold from its place on de Isla de Muerta was cursed to remain neither living nor dead until the treasure be returned and de blood repaid."_

The longboat rocked, bringing Jessie out of her memories. Pintel lifted her out of the boat and pushed her forwards on the rocks of Isla de Muerta. The pirates all gathered in a large cave, filled with treasure. In the center of the cave, a mound covered in coins held aloft the cursed chest of Cortez. A beam of light struck it, giving it a strange appearance.

Barbosa took Jessie and Will's arms and led them to the top of the mound. The pirates began chanting as the realization of their impending freedom sank in. Jessie inwardly cringed at all those bloodthirsty faces.

The pirate captain spoke. Jessie wondered how often he rehearsed in his mind the right words to say, how long he had spent dreaming about this moment. His eyes glowed brightly, almost insanely.

"The first!"

He held up Will's hand and slapped the coin into his palm. With a quick movement, he sliced through Will's hand directly under the coin and balled it into a fist. Will grimaced. The coin dropped to join its fellows, a red stain amongst all the gold.

Barbosa shoved Will aside and jerked Jessie over.

"As we bargained, young Mister Turner is kept alive," he grinned, "but ye won't be so fortunate." He ran a finger down the tip of her nose. "As much as I'd like to keep ye fer yer services, ye are a crafty little thing. I can't have nothin' but loyalty on me ship."

Someone kicked her savagely behind her knees, and she dropped to the hard ground. Her head was pulled back. Barbosa leered in her face as he kept a firm grip on her hair. He placed the bloodstained knife on her throat. The crowd's energy grew to a frenzy of chanting, then they stopped all at once. The hush of the cavern was worse than the noise. Jessie thought the air might spark from the tension.

A noise broke the friction. It was a man's voice that came from the back and was coming closer. Barbosa ignored it until he realized the man was standing directly below him.

"It's not possible," he muttered, staring down the mound at the man. Jessie craned her head to see whom he was looking at.

"Not probable, you mean," Jack corrected.

"How in blazes did you get off that island?" For the moment Barbosa forgot his composure and stared at Jack as though he expected him to turn into a ghost.

"When you marooned me on that god-forsaken spit of land, you forgot one very important thing." Jack held out his hands and smiled. "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow, mate."

"Well, I won't be makin' that same mistake again." He nodded to the tattooed man, who laid his brawny hand on Jack's shoulder.

"I don't think ye want to be doin' that," Jack said quietly. Barbosa pressed the knife harder on Jessie's throat.

"No, I really think I do."

Jack sighed. "Your funeral."

Barbosa paused, considering. Then he rolled his eyes in frustration and turned to Jack.

"And why don't I want to be do this?" he asked with feigned sweetness.

Jack slapped the man's hand off his arm and made his way up the mound. "Because Commodore Norrington and the entire royal navy are outside this island, just waiting for you to come out. Now, if ye were to break the curse at the moment, ye'd have about five minutes of life before they swooped in here and killed the lot of you."

"So ye want me to not kill the wench?" Barbosa said irritably.

Jack shook his head. "No, no, by all means, kill the wench. Just wait for the opportune moment." He ran his fingers over the gold coins and held some in his hand. "For instance, after you've killed Norrington's men." He dropped a coin into the chest.

_Plink_.

"Every…"

_Plink_.

"…last…"

_Plink._

"…one…"

Jessie glanced at his hand, expecting one last coin to fall. He wrapped his fingers around his palm and continued walking towards Barbosa.

"Then there won't be anything hindering you from sailing out of here."

"And happens to yeself?" Barbosa asked suspiciously.

"I join ye as captain of the _Pearl_ once more. Ye'll have the makings of ye very own fleet, Barbosa, what with the _Pearl_ bein' yours and the _Dauntless_ being without a captain."

Barbosa glanced at Jessie. "Seems I've heard that one afore."

He stepped off the mound and led Jack away from the rest of the crew. Jessie's hands were caught by the muscular man. She struggled, and he growled in her ear.

"What's Jack doing?" Will whispered. Jessie shook her head.

"I don't know. Bargaining with Barbosa, I'd imagine."

Jessie watched her brother's body intently. She had learned from a very young age to watch his actions and not listen to his words, but she wasn't sure she could still read his hidden messages anymore.

Barbosa suddenly turned to them. "Gents! Take a walk. I want you to meet Jack's friends outside."

The crew chuckled to themselves. Barbosa took Jessie once more and watched them walk out of the cavern. Jessie saw them go down beneath the water. A sinking feeling settled in the pit of her stomach.

"They're going to ambush Norrington and his men," she said quietly to Will. "They'll walk on the ocean floor to get to the ship."

"Norrington won't know they can't die," Will finished her thought, pressing his lips together. "They'll be slaughtered."

Neither of them spoke for several minutes. Barbosa forced them both to their knees, leaving one of the three pirates who stayed behind to watch over them. Jack meandered over to another pile of treasures and started looking through them. Aside from the sounds of Jack throwing things out of his way, there was silence.

Slyly, Jessie peeked at their guard. He was standing just behind her, picking his nose. She slid her arms up her back as far as they could go and groped with her fingers for a spot between her shoulder blades. Her shoulders winced, but she tried to push her hands up farther.

Will leaned close, keeping an eye on the pirate.

"What are you doing?"

Jessie grunted quietly. "Are your hands tied?"

"No."

The pirate kicked Jessie in the back. "Quiet, you."

The kick sent Jessie forward into the chest. The corner of the chest cut her forehead, and a tiny trail of blood trickled down her face.

Jessie cast a scornful glance at the man and tried to sit up. Will reached for her arm, earning himself a curse from the pirate guard. As he helped Jessie back onto her knees, she leaned heavily on his arm.

"There's a knife on a belt under my shirt," she whispered hurriedly. "Grab it and put it in my hand, quickly!"

She fell against his chest. When she straightened again, he pressed the small dagger in her hand, then he wiped the blood out of her eyes. The pirate went back to leaning against the treasure, ignoring them. Jessie turned the blade in her hand, placing the tip in the tiny keyhole and began working it in the mechanism.

Barbosa suddenly rose from his seat. "I thought I had ye figured out, Jack," he said. "But I never would've guessed ye'd come crawling back to me and agree to join me crew."

Jack looked up and grinned. "Me? I'm dishonest. And a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest. Honestly, it's the honest ones you want to watch out for, because you can never predict when they're going to do something incredibly…" he paused and smiled at Will and Jessie. "Stupid."

Jessie read his smile. The chains clicked and fell off her wrists. At the same moment when she leapt to her feet, Will threw his elbow into their guard's nose. Barbosa barely had a moment to see what they were doing before ducking under Jack's sword.

Jessie took hold of a sword in the mound and parried the guard's swings at her throat. He laughed wildly.

"I can't die, but you can!"

Round the chest they went, Jessie desperately looking for a way to gain the advantage. The man was clumsy, but he felt no pain, no matter how many times Jessie's sword sliced through his skin. He laughed again when he saw her discouragement.

Jessie took a step back and found herself pressed against the rock wall. The pirate stabbed at her middle. She rolled away, and his sword snapped on contact with the wall. He growled and threw a handful of coins at her face. Instinctively, she covered her face with her hands, dropping the sword. Instantly he grabbed hold of her and tried to pin her down. Jessie dropped to her back and rolled over, landing with herself on top. Freeing one wrist, she balled her hand into a fist and punched him in the jaw. His neck snapped to one side. With a quick jump, she sprang away and picked up another sword as the second pirate came at her. In one hand, he held a sword, and in the other a bomb. Jessie parried his rain of blows as she staggered backwards. The moonlight, dripping down through the cracks in the roof, shot beams of light onto the floor. As he passed through them, the pirate alternated between a skeleton dressed in rags and his normal self.

The pirate threw the bomb at her, the wick burning down. Jessie caught it gingerly. Then, struck with an idea, she rushed forward. The pirate was caught by surprise and had no time to react when she shoved the bomb in his exposed ribcage and pushed him into the shadows. He groped at his middle, trying in vain to take out the bomb through his stomach. Jessie turned and ran, ducking as the explosion ripped through the cavern.

Jack and Barbosa had fought all the way around the cave. She could see them weaving in and out of the rock pillars, moving like two dancers she had once seen. She started to run towards them. Suddenly, Barbosa struck Jack's hand, tossing his sword away, then ran him through the middle.

Jack staggered, staring at the protruding hilt in his chest. Jessie froze, horrified. Before she could do anything, however, Jack came into a beam of moonlight.

Barbosa and Jessie stared at him. His body had changed. His bones showed through the tattered material clinging to him. His golden teeth glittered amongst the rows of dirty pearls. Jack examined his bony fingers, juggling a coin between them nonchalantly.

"That's very interesting," he muttered.

Barbosa let loose a guttural sound. Jack drew the sword from his chest and continued to parry and thrust at Barbosa.

Will touched Jessie's arm.

"Jessie! Get to the chest!"

Jack heard Will. He cut his palm, squeezed the coin, and tossed it to Jessie as she passed him. Barbosa roared and chased Jessie up the mound. He caught hold of her in his iron grip, tripping her, and pressed his pistol to her temple.

A shot went off. Everyone stopped. Barbosa turned around. Jack's pistol, the only one he ever carried, the one Norrington mocked for having one shot, was smoking. There was a hole in Barbosa's chest.

"Ten years ye've waited to use that pistol and now ye've wasted yer shot," Barbosa said smugly.

Jessie winced. "He didn't waste it."

Barbosa whipped his head around. Jessie unwrapped her fingers and let fall the two coins, now stained red. The blood-stained knife in her fist glinted.

The pirate released her and stood, pulling back his coat to look at the growing stain on his shirt. Jessie glanced at Will. He had run one of the two remaining pirates through and had been grappling with the one whose neck Jessie had snapped. With a little chuckle, the man stared at the hilt of Will's sword in his chest and fell backwards.

"I feel…" Barbosa whispered, relief spreading over his face when he realized the curse was lifted. Then he frowned. "Cold."

Barbosa crumpled, his black eyes staring at the ceiling. Jack and Jessie watched him fall, the siblings feeling a joint surge of pleasure. Jack smiled the broadest Jessie had seen in years and lowered his gun.

"We did it, Jess."

Jessie nodded, leaning against the cursed chest.

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Jessie sat for a long time on the mound of gold, fixating on Barbosa's dead body. Jack had left her and returned to rifling through the treasure, donning a ridiculously large crown and several necklaces, and carrying a golden idol. Will had taken charge of the bodies of the bodies, removing Barbosa's last of all. Jessie didn't blink as he took it away, and her gaze didn't waver from the spot once the body was gone.

Will sat next to her and placed his hand on hers.

"Jessie?"

"Hm?" she grunted, not moving.

"Jessie, are you alright?"

She moved her stare to their hands on her knee, then followed his arm up to his face.

"Most of my life has been spent chasing after one thing: revenge. I wanted to find Jack so we could sail away together, find Barbosa, and make him pay for his mutiny."

Will raised his eyebrows. "You got what you wanted, didn't you? Barbosa is dead, and you have Jack now."

She nodded slowly, chewing on her lip. "Yeah. I guess I did." She watched Jack as he flung a gilded cup over his shoulder.

"So, what's the matter?"

She sighed. "I don't know. I just… I don't know what to do now. Barbosa is dead, and we have the _Pearl_, so Jack will probably want to return to the sea, searching for legendary treasures like before. I should be happy, Will. I should be…" Her voice trailed off, and she quickly focused at the ground. "I just don't know anymore."

Will cleared his throat. "You expect to make it out of the cave without Norrington catching you?"

"I could if I wanted to."

They sat in silence until Jack came and stood in front of them.

"Well, Jess, if ye have finished yer gaping at the spot where Barbosa died, I'd say we'd best be goin'. The _Pearl_ is waitin' for us with the crew safe, I presume, so the two of us can sail on out of here."

Jessie stared somewhat dubiously at her brother. But before she could speak, voices sounded in the cavern entrance. Jack and Jessie reacted, jumping to their feet and looking for an exit. Finding none, they reached for weapons.

Will moved quickly and pinned Jack's hands behind his back. "I can't let you do that, Jack," he said quietly.

Jack smiled wanly. "Ye can't keep us here, Will."

Jessie threw down her sword and sat once more.

"We're caught, Jack," she said resignedly. "There's no way out."

Norrington and his men ran into the cave. They surrounded the two men and Jessie, forcing her hands behind and up her back. Jessie grimaced in pain.

"Hello again, Captain Sparrow," Norrington smirked. " Gillette, clap Sparrow and Mr. Turner in irons."

Norrington walked over to Jessie, who was struggling to loosen her captor's grip.

"Hello, Miss Swan," he said softly.

Her gaze hardened. "It's Swiftblade, Norrington, Jessie Swiftblade."

Norrington nodded to his man, who brought Jessie to a boat and tied her hands together in front of her, then attached the rope to the side of the longboat.

"Where are we going, Commodore?" Jessie asked, though she thought she knew the answer.

Norrington didn't respond. He wouldn't look at her until the longboat had reached the H.M.S. _Atonement_ and the two of them were standing in his stateroom. Governor Swan and Elizabeth waited for them, both grave and quiet.

"Jessie… Swiftblade," Norrington began, "You are charged with several significant crimes against the British crown. You aided a dangerous pirate; you commandeered a royal ship; and you willingly sailed under the Jolly Roger, as well as other things I don't care to mention."

Jessie continued to stare ahead, keeping her face expressionless. Governor Swan approached her.

"Why, Jessie? Why did you do this?"

The pain in his voice hurt her, but she refused to show it.

"I was a pirate before you took me in, Governor." She tried to soften her words by speaking quietly. "I was born to pirates, I grew up with pirates. I am a pirate. When you found me floating about that night, I had just escaped from my enemies. I tried to change for you, but I couldn't. I've been sailing through the Caribbean since I left for Barbados."

"Jessie," Elizabeth pleaded. Her voice was strained, and her eyes filled with tears. "Jessie, please. Father can grant you clemency, and you can come back to Port Royal and live with us again. This will all be as if it never happened."

Elizabeth touched Jessie's arm, her face so miserable Jessie nearly relented.

"And what," she asked, keeping her voice steady, "what is going to happen to Will and Jack?"

The governor lost his patience. "Jessie, this is not about those two! You are in danger of being hung with them, and we are offering you a way out. Please, child, do not make this more difficult—" He caught himself and took in a deep, shaky breath.

"So they will both be hung," Jessie said, almost to herself. "What happens if I accept?"

"You will return to Port Royal with us, and I shall personally make sure this whole incident is kept a secret. You can return to Barbados, if you wish, or you can live with us once more." Governor Swan clasped his hands behind his back. "Whichever you decide, my dear."

Jessie stared at her boots. Her mind she had made up several minutes ago, but she wanted to phrase it well.

"I've made my choice," she said finally.

"Oh, good, I'm so glad you've decided to come home!" Elizabeth cried.

"I ask you, Governor Swan, to grant the clemency you would've given me to William Turner," she finished. "William came with me and Captain Sparrow to protect me. He has not killed anyone wearing a uniform, and he kept Sparrow from running on that island."

Governor Swan and Norrington were stunned. Neither could speak. Elizabeth broke the silence with a wail.

"No, Jessie! Please, no!"

Governor Swan protested as well. "What happens to the boy is not your concern, Jessie! You must think of yourself."

Jessie opened her mouth to speak.

"If Jessie wishes to give her place to William," Norrington said quietly, "then we must respect that."

Now Jessie felt shocked, but she managed to speak.

"I beg you, Governor, please grant me this."

Governor Swan turned away and stared out the window. Norrington went to his side. Both men spoke in soft murmurs, glancing from Jessie to the longboats outside. Elizabeth stroked Jessie's arm.

"Jessie, please come home," she implored.

"Lizzie, I can't. You know I can't. The sea is my home, and there are other things…"

The governor turned around. He regarded Jessie for what seemed a long time. Jessie held her breath.

"I am willing to pardon William Turner of his crimes," Governor Swan said at last. "I am also willing to extend that pardon to you, Jessie, so you don't have to choose."

Jessie lifted her head proudly. "Thank you, Governor, but I cannot take that. I have committed crimes, and I shall accept the consequences of my actions."

Norrington looked knowingly at the governor, though he said nothing. The governor pressed his lips together and leaned heavily on the table, his back to Jessie. Elizabeth fell into a chair with a fresh sob. Jessie's throat constricted, and as Norrington led her out of the room, she couldn't stop a tear from rolling down her face.

Outside, they were met by two officers.

"Commodore," one said, saluting, "The _Black Pearl_ is gone, sir."

Jessie and Norrington both stared in amazement. "Gone?" Norrington cried, "What do you mean?"

"Just that, sir. We sent a boat over to kill whatever pirates remained and take the ship, like you ordered. The men found another crew in the brig and let them out of their cells. The men threw our sailors overboard and have now got away."

Jessie followed the man's finger where it pointed to the place the _Pearl_ had been anchored. Not a sign of Jack's ship could she see in the dark waters. Norrington frowned.

"Well, they'll have got halfway out of the Caribbean by now," he said grimly. "Take Swiftblade and Sparrow to the brig and keep them chained until we reach Port Royal, and bring William turner to me."

He handed Jessie over to the officer and returned to the state room. Jessie kept her face rigid as she felt the eyes of every sailor who watched her until she disappeared in the brig.

Jack was sitting against the wall, his hat tipped over his face and one arm resting on his knee. He didn't move until the officer had removed Jessie's cords and replaced them with shackles, keeping her hands behind her back, then left the two alone.

"So, Jess," Jack mumbled, "here we are again, eh? Just the two of us, tied up in an enemy ship, on our way to be hung. Just like old times."

Jessie crawled over to her brother and leaned on him, her head resting on his shoulder.

"Jack."

"Yes, darling"

"Jack, I'm sorry."

Jack frowned and raised an eyebrow. "Sorry?" he said, confused.

"I'm sorry I made Barbosa maroon you, and I'm sorry the _Pearl_'s gone again. I'm sorry I couldn't help you escape."

Jack snorted. "Don't act daft, Jess. I'm not angry with you anymore. I would've done the same to you."

Jessie craned her neck and kissed his cheek. "I know."

The pair eventually fell asleep, Jessie with her head on his sleeve, Jack with his face in her hair.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Once the _Atonement_ reached Port Royal, the pirates were whisked off to the prison cells of Fort Edward. Jessie only saw the governor and Elizabeth once, but it was no more than a glance as they rode back to their home in a carriage. Will was given a warm welcome and called a hero upon arrival. Jessie heard the cheers through the window in her cell when Governor Swan officially cleared Will's name and made him the blacksmith of Fort Edward. Jack, who had not moved since they had been placed in their cell three days ago, smiled faintly.

"He has yerself to thank for that, Jess," he remarked.

Jessie stepped off the stone she had stood on tiptoe to see out of the tiny window. "I asked that he be granted the same grace Governor Swan would've shown me. I did not ask that he be given an official title."

Jack shrugged and went back to sleep. Jessie folded her hands together and studied her thumbs as the noise from outside died down.

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The night before they were to be hung, Jessie couldn't sleep. She tossed and turned on her cot in the corner, got up and paced, lay back down and counted the stones in the wall. She mused a little over how Jack had known she had convinced Governor Swan to overlook Will's treason, then she brushed the thought aside. Jack had a strange intuition when it came to her actions.

The wall lost all its menial interest. Frustrated, Jessie stood and placed her foot on the one brick in the wall that stuck out enough for her to stand on. She pressed her weight on the wall and peered at the gallows the soldiers had spent the last four days building. Two ropes, already knotted, swayed gloomily in the wind. Without meaning to, Jessie put her hand to her neck. She felt for the medallion out of habit and balled her restless fingers into a fist once she remembered it was gone.

"I don't see any way out of this one, Jack," she said quietly. "There's nowhere to run to, and there's no ship to take us anywhere."

Jack snored loudly. Jessie jumped to the floor and folded her arms across her chest, putting her back to the stone wall. The hard rock had failed to soak up any sunlight, and the iciness seeped through Jessie's shirt. She arched her back and tried to entertain herself with figuring how long until the morning showed.

There was a sudden creak of one of the doors to the cells opening. Jessie snapped awake. Light drifted dimly through the window to the floor. Jack had not moved, apparently untroubled by the noise. Jessie unconsciously moved farther into the remaining shadows.

A figure crept to the bars of their cell, its face hooded. Jessie quickly scanned the figure, determining it was a man and he carried no weapons.

As she stepped forward, the man threw back his hood.

"Will!" Jessie exclaimed. Her voice bounced off the walls. She came up to the bars. "Will, what are you doing here?"

Will reached his fingers through the bars and touched Jessie's face. "Norrington told me you convinced Governor Swan to let me go free. Why did you do that?"

"You broke into jail to ask me that?" she queried disbelievingly.

"Just answer my question."

"I did it because I couldn't stand the thought of you dying for something I made you do," she replied softly. She wrapped her fingers around Will's. "You are my best friend, Will, and I don't want anything to happen to you."

"I can't let anything happen to you either," Will said. "I'm going to save you and Jack, I promise."

Jessie squeezed his fingers. "Don't, Will, they'll hang you! Don't do anything stupid."

Will took hold of her chin and brought her close to the bars. Before she could pull away, he kissed her lightly on the lips. A shock ran through Jessie, right down to her toes. Then Will let go and disappeared the way he had come, leaving Jessie standing with one hand still clutching the bars.

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The sun beat down on the onlookers who crowded close together in Fort Edward. They waited on the top of the tall tower where, not too long ago, Jessie had fallen over the edge to the shallows below, suffocated by her corset.

Now Jessie stood next to Jack on the gallows, their hands tied, the nooses before them. They had to squint to see the figures of the governor, Elizabeth, and Norrington at the far end of the tower, watching from an elevated structure. Jessie was surprised to see Elizabeth, but she noticed the girl kept her face hidden beneath her large hat and she spent a great deal of time adjusting her gloves and watching the crowd.

A man wearing a dark coat stood up on a block in front of the gallows. He unrolled the scroll he carried and began to speak.

"Jack Sparrow," he called in a high, reedy voice that barely made it out to the crowd. Jessie heard Jack mutter something under his breath.

"You are charged with high treason against the Crown, as well as other crimes which are numerous in number and sinister in action…"

"Jess."

"What, Jack?"

"I don't think we're getting out of this one."

"…impersonating an officer of the Royal Navy; impersonating a clergy of the Church of England..."

Jessie laughed. "No, Jack, I don't think we are. We've never been in a spot this tight."

"…arson; kidnapping; perjury; piracy; pilfering; deprivation of a Federal Loyalist."

"It would be a grand thing if'n we did get out, wouldn't it?"

"Jessie Swiftblade, formerly known as Jessie Swan. You are also charged with high treason against the Crown, as well as committing crimes that are numerous in number and sinister in action…"

"Aye, Jack, it would be a story worth hearing from Gibbs. He always told the best stories."

"… impersonating a member of the royal house; kidnapping a member of the East India Trading Company…"

Jack grinned. "My favorite is the one about how I escaped that island Barbosa left me on."

"I still want to know how you did that."

"… arson; piracy; pilfering; perjury; unlawful acts with members of Parliament. For these crimes, you both are sentenced to hang by the neck until dead." The man rolled up his scroll and looked gravely at the siblings. "May God have mercy on your souls."

"No time, Jess. Maybe later."

The hangman, his head covered with a black cloth, walked up behind Jessie and secured the noose around her neck, then did the same to Jack. The rope was heavy and itchy. Jessie resisted the urge to lift her bound hands and remove the noose.

Something in the crowd caught her attention. It was a hat with a ridiculously large feather stuck in the brim. She couldn't see the wearer's face, but she knew who it was. A thrill ran through her.

The soldiers started a drumroll. The hangman pulled the lever, and the floor beneath Jessie and Jack's feet gave way. Their fall was jerked to a stop, and Jessie gasped as the noose tightened. She shut her eyes and listened to the crowd, who was yelling and screaming. Her mind was clouding. She couldn't figure out why everyone sounded panicked. She blinked. Her vision was growing black. It would all be over very soon.

Jessie dropped to the stones of the fort suddenly. She opened her eyes as the noose was cut off her neck. Gratefully, she sucked in air, coughing and gagging in the process. Jack tore the rope from her wrists and lifted her to her feet, pressing a sword into her hand.

"Move!" he shouted. Jessie found a swarm of redcoats running towards them. Jack and Jessie rolled around the base of the gallows and out to the square, where more soldiers waited with their bayonets ready. Jessie ducked underneath the deadly wall and swiped at the rows of legs. Men collapsed, but more took their place. Jessie was pushed back, hedged in by muskets and bayonets.

A body pressed against her, then another. Jack and Will, both brandishing their blades, came as close to her as they could, lightly touching the bayonets with their swords.

Norrington and the governor walked into the circle, Norrington with his hands behind his back. The governor looked angrier than Jessie had ever seen.

"Well, Mr. Turner," Norrington said evenly. "It would seem that you have decided to disregard our grace."

"You've decided to throw your lot in with them!" the governor exclaimed. "They're pirates!"

"And good people!" Will threw his sword to the ground. "If all I've accomplished by this is that the noose will have three necks instead of two, at least my conscience will be clear."

Norrington drew his sword and placed the tip on Will's jaw. Jack and Jessie stuck their hands in the air, and the soldiers raised their muskets.

"James." Elizabeth's soft voice cut through the tension. She held Norrington's arm and looked beseechingly at her father. "I believe Mr. Turner has acted selflessly and is standing up for what he believes to be wrong."

She leaned closer and whispered into her fiancé's ear. Jack tugged on Jessie's sleeve. He used his head to point out a parrot sitting atop a standard. Jessie narrowed her eyes.

_Cotton's parrot…_

Norrington and Elizabeth turned away from the group, their discussion becoming more heated. Governor Swan joined them, gesturing back to the trio.

"Jess," Jack said from the side of his mouth, "I believe now is as good a time as any."

Jessie shook her head slightly. "No, Jack, we can't leave Will."

Jack took her hand and ran back towards the end of the fort. He leapt to the edge, Jessie balancing beside him.

"Gentlemen," he called grandly, "I hate to escape and run, but Swiftblade and I must be going."

The soldiers lowered their muskets and rushed at the pirates.

"And you must always remember today as the day when you _almost_ caught—"

Jessie felt herself plummet backwards. Jack released his grip on her fingers, and she straightened herself out into a dive. The cold water swallowed her up, and she opened her eyes. The sea bed was unnervingly close. With several kicks, she swam to the surface, gasping for breath when her head was out of the water.

A shout echoed out from the bay. Jessie and Jack turned to see the _Black Pearl_ sailing towards them. They swam to the side of the ship, where the crew threw two ropes into their waiting hands and heaved them up to the deck. The siblings flew through the air, the crew pulled on the ropes so hard. As she sailed above the water, Jessie tried to catch a glimpse of Will, but the fort rose too high.

Jack and Jessie crashed to the deck. The crew surrounded them and helped them up. Jack eyed Gibbs.

"I thought I told ye to stick to the Code," he stated.

Gibbs smirked. "We figured ye wouldn't be too upset as to 'ave to _Pearl_ to yeself once again."

Jessie scurried up the rigging and into the crow's nest, still wanting to see what became of Will. Below, Jack took the tiller, stroking the wood lovingly until he realized the crew was watching him.

"To yer station's, ye scurvy dogs!" he shouted.

Jessie felt the ship turn towards to open ocean. She kept watching the fort, even after it was nothing more than a spot on the horizon, but she didn't see Will, Norrington, or Governor Swan. Eventually, she climbed down slowly and took her place next to Jack, who was humming a shanty to himself.

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The _Black Pearl_ docked at Tortuga a day later, where the crew disappeared to celebrate their good fortune. Jessie slipped away as soon as she could and made for her beloved ship, the _Sea Serpent._ The crew had kept her in top condition, which pleased Jessie a little, and she took her time inspecting the ship. The crew, she imagined, was somewhere on Tortuga, but she would round them up in the morning and set sail before the tide ran out.

Jessie came back to the top deck and stood at the tiller, running her fingers over the familiar wood.

"I knew I'd find you here."

Jack came and stood next to her. "The _Serpent_ appears to be in one piece. Ye sailin' off tomorrow, eh?"

Jessie nodded.

"Well, we can all go together, then. I don't want to waste too much time on this lovely island, so—"

"No, Jack."

He frowned and stared at her. "What's that?"

"I won't be going with you and the _Pearl_." She read his question in his expression.

"Two reasons. The first is the obvious: no one on the Caribbean knows that we're related, and we need to keep it that way. Your deadline with Jones is fast approaching, and I believe it would be better for you if you had someone who could help you out of his clutches. This way, I can scout out our other enemies as well.

"The second reason…" She paused. "Jack," she smiled at him, "I've grown up. You know we wouldn't be able to sail together for long."

Jack's mouth twitched. "Aye. Ye always were a feisty lass, Jess. But I have a feelin' there's another reason ye want to leave me so quickly." He leaned on the tiller. "Somethin' to do with young William, I imagine?"

Much to her chagrin, Jessie blushed a little. However, she shrugged and didn't answer.

"Ye needn't worry about him, Jess. I think that pretty Miss Swan will make sure he is taken care of. But, it's yer choice, and I can't stop ye. I'll be sailin' for the fountain of youth, so ye won't see me fer a while, most likely."

He pulled out his compass and opened it. Jessie peered over his shoulder to watch the enchanted needle point, she presumed, in the direction of the fountain.

"You can't just go after treasure that's not part of a legend?" she teased.

"Now where's the fun in that, love?"

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Jessie ran her hand over her hair once more, making sure the ponytail was holding. With the long, confident strides of a man, she made her way through the streets of Port Royal to a pub and sat down at the bar. The bartender slid a tankard across the table. Without looking his direction, Jessie caught it with one hand and took a deep draft. She sighed with pleasure as a tingling sensation ran through her body.

"Ahoy there, sailor!" another man greeted, sitting in the chair next to her. "You look like you've just sailed in from a hard voyage!"

"That I have," she replied, making her voice a bit gravelly. "Just returned from Africa and its never-ending storms." She drank again.

"But aren't ye a bit you to be sailin' so far? Who's ye captain?"

"I'm the captain. My ship ain't much, but we bring back enough to please the governor." She laughed. "Tell me, friend, I've been gone a while and I've heard whispers of excitement happening recently."

"Aye, we've had a great deal of excitement. Pirates attacked us and carried off Miss Elizabeth—you know, the governor's daughter. Nearly destroyed Port Royal, those brutes did. Commodore Norrington sent every ship after her, of course, but that other Swan girl, Jessie, broke Jack Sparrow out of prison and commandeered the _Interceptor_ with Mister Turner joining them."

Jessie shook her head. "They didn't find Miss Elizabeth?"

"They found her well enough. Marooned on some strip of land with Jack Sparrow, she was, and full of the most fantastic stories about pirates who couldn't die and Jessie bein' a pirate."

"A pirate?"

The man nodded. "Aye, a pirate! Seems as the girl was a pirate to begin with, and she continued to raid and steal when she was living on Barbados."

"So everyone is now well and accounted for, eh? Sparrow and Jessie are hung, I'd imagine…"

"Hardly. Sparrow and Swiftblade (that was Jessie's pirate name), they both got away on the very day of their execution. Will Turner hasn't fared too badly, though. He was in danger for a bit, but Elizabeth pleaded his case, and the governor granted him his own smithy. He makes finer craft than Brown ever did, and I wager it was Will who made everything for Brown when he worked for him. Miss Elizabeth and Commodore Norrington are to be married sometime in the very near future, and things around here have returned to normal, so that's about the end of it."

Jessie drained the remainder of her mug. "And a fine tale it made, to be sure." She waved the bartender over. As he refilled her tankard, she stuck her hand out to her companion.

"Captain Edmund Smith, of the _Fair Lady_," she said, shaking the man's hand warmly.

"Henry Dawes. Good to meet you, Captain."

Jessie gulped the last of the liquor. "You as well. Thanks for the news, I'm off to make sure my good-for-nothing crew hasn't completely bungled their job." She left a few coins on the bar and walked out. As she entered the street, she slowed her steps and listened for the sounds of pursuit she expected to hear.

"Captain!"

Dawes had ran after her into the busy street.

"I was just thinkin'… are ye in need of another crew member?"

Jessie eyed him. "You look strong enough for the job. Have you a family?"

"None who would miss my absence."

"And you have nothing on shore that would prevent you from devoting your full self to my business?"

He shook his head.

"Then pack your bags, Dawes, and be at the docks in precisely ten minutes. My men will pick you up. If you aren't there, I won't wait."

Jessie turned away and continued back to her ship. She heard Dawes scurry off and breathed a small sigh of relief. She had known who Dawes was the moment she saw him, but whether or not he knew her was another question.

"_Might as well keep all the dangerous ones under my watch_," she thought. _"He could be useful, anyway._"

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Far away, on a remote piece of land one could barely call an island, Tia opened her eyes. She in a small room at a small table, her elbows on its grimy surface and chin resting in her hands. The room was dimly lit with several lamps, and throughout the entire room were strange objects. They were sat, hung, or thrown wherever Tia could find space.

Tia touched the various objects on the table before her with her long fingers. They looked like animal bones, shells, rocks, and other unidentifiable things.

"Ye better watch ye back, Swiftblade," she said to herself. She picked up a little figure carefully carved out of wood and looked fondly at it. "Yer enemies are beginnin' to make deir moves, and ye could be caught in de middle.

"And Jack," she said to another piece, "Ye'll be to my island soon, lookin' fer answers to ye questions. Jones ain't forgot ye yet, and he's hungry fer ye soul."

Tia laughed to herself, a terrible, mirthless laugh.

Outside, dawn began to break.


End file.
